A student claims that dominant traits are always the most common traits. Is this true? Why or why not?
Options:
No, dominant traits only show up if they are inherited; how common they are is not influenced by this
No, dominant traits in general tend to be less common in the population and continue to persist only because they are dominant over more common recessive alleles
Yes, dominant traits became more common over time as they are passed down from generation to generation; recessive alleles continue to become less common over time
Yes, dominant traits are called dominant because they are the most common
The correct answer is: No, dominant traits in general tend to be less common in the population and continue to persist only because they are dominant over more common recessive alleles.
The statement in the question is not true. Dominant traits are not always the most common traits. The frequency of a trait in a population depends on various factors such as genetic variations, mutations, natural selection, and gene flow. Dominant traits can be less common in a population and still persist because they are able to mask the presence of recessive alleles. Recessive traits can still be present in a population, but they are not always expressed phenotypically when a dominant allele is present.