Answer to Question #102369 in Genetics for ray

Question

The fate of a new allele arising from mutation depends on population size because:
Question 8 options:

small populations are more likely to lose new alleles by chance if mutant individuals do not breed

allele frequencies are not likely to change quickly in small populations

large populations are more likely to lose a mutant allele because there are many breeders

deleterious mutations don’t affect an individual’s fitness in large populations

Answer 1

Small populations are more likely to lose new alleles by chance if mutant individuals do not breed.

Typically, genetic drift occurs in small populations, where infrequently-occurring alleles face a greater chance of being lost.