Question

In the year 2230, ten married, heterosexual pairs of space colonists settle an uninhabited planet. The population randomly mates for several generations. All of the original colonists could roll their tongues, and four were heterozygous for the trait.
Why is it unlikely for Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium to maintain initial allele frequencies for tongue rolling that existed in the original colonists' population?

• A. Random mutations are more likely to occur in the environment of a new planet.
• B. Inbreeding would occur, which has the same effect on a population as emigration.
• C. Tongue rolling is an important survival trait that is likely to be selected for the environment of the new planet.
• D. The population is so small that random chance will artificially alter the allele frequencies from generation to generation.

Answer 1

The correct option is D The population is so small that random chance will artificially alter the allele frequencies from generation to generation.

Hardy Weinberg equilibrium cannot be applied to small populations as a minor alteration in gene frequency would disturb or shift the equilibrium.

So, the correct answer is 'The population is so small that random chance will artificially alter the allele frequencies from generation to generation'