A scientist observes a population of cheetahs on the plains in southern Africa and noticed that cheetahs have very little genetic variation. The scientists claim that the cheetahs are susceptible to extinction as a result of climate change. What is the name of the effect the scientist observed and why is it a concern?(1 point)
Responses
Frameshift mutation, because it only produces ineffective proteins
Frameshift mutation, because it only produces ineffective proteins
Bottleneck effect, because environmental stresses affecting one cheetah could affect them all
Bottleneck effect, because environmental stresses affecting one cheetah could affect them all
Disaster effect, because the cheetahs have mutated to produce ineffective proteins
Disaster effect, because the cheetahs have mutated to produce ineffective proteins
Substitution mutation, because these mutations cannot be passed to offspring
Bottleneck effect, because environmental stresses affecting one cheetah could affect them all.
The scientist observed a lack of genetic variation in the cheetah population, which suggests that they have experienced a bottleneck effect. This means that at some point in the past, the cheetah population went through a severe reduction in numbers, resulting in a small gene pool and limited genetic diversity. This is a concern because with limited genetic variation, cheetahs may be less able to adapt to changing environmental conditions, such as those caused by climate change. They may have reduced ability to cope with new challenges or may be more susceptible to diseases. Overall, this makes the cheetah population more vulnerable to extinction.