If the trait A exists in 10% of a population of an asexually reproducing species and a trait B exists in 60% of the same population, which trait is likely to have arisen earlier?
Trait B is likely to have arisen earlier.
Asexual reproduction results in offspring which are just identical copies of the parent.
Organisms reproducing by asexual reproduction exhibit a very less number of variations due to environmental changes or mutations. A characteristic may emerge in such organisms as a result of a mutation triggered by environmental influences.
The newly induced characteristic is subsequently passed down through the generations via replication over time.
As a result, if characteristic A is found in 10% of an asexually reproducing species' population and trait B is found in 60% of the same population, trait B is more likely to have developed first since it has been replicating and exists in a greater proportion of the population than trait A.
If characteristic A is seen in 10% of an asexually reproducing species' population, it is more likely that this feature has recently emerged.