Question

A small isolated population is more likely to undergo speciation than a large population because a small population

• A. Is more affected by genetic drift and natural selection
• B. Contains, relatively more genetic diversity
• C. Is more susceptible to gene flow
• D. Has a higher mutation rate

Answer 1

Answer: (A)

Is more affected by genetic drift and natural selection

A small isolated population is most likely to undergo speciation or a significant change in their gene pool because of natural selection and genetic drift. Smaller populations are likely to have higher genetic differences between the individuals and their smaller size allows genetic drift to have a greater impact on the population's gene pool. Natural selection is also likely to occur which changes the gene pool of the smaller population in a relatively short time.