A student claims that dominant traits are always the most common traits. Is this true? Why or why not?
1.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.
2.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.
3.Yes, dominant traits are called dominant because they are the most common.
4.No, dominant traits only show up if they are inherited; how common they are is not influenced by this.
The correct answer is 4. No, dominant traits only show up if they are inherited; how common they are is not influenced by this.
Dominant traits are traits that are expressed when an individual carries one copy of the dominant allele. However, the frequency of dominant traits in a population does not necessarily make them the most common traits. The prevalence of a trait in a population depends on a variety of factors, including the inheritance patterns, selection pressure, and genetic drift. Therefore, the dominant/recessive nature of a trait does not dictate its frequency in a population.