Question

question 23
1 pts
a species of wildflower grows on hillsides in two locations. in the first (location a), the population is large and diverse, covering a large section of hillside. in the second (location b), a small but diverse population grows at the base of a hillside. severe storms cause extensive mudslides in both areas, killing a large proportion of individuals in both populations. if you were to survey both locations after the surviving flowers have reproduced for several generations, what would you expect to observe?
the population in location a would be large and diverse, retaining all of its alleles in their original frequencies.
both populations would be very small and genetically uniform, having lost many of their original alleles.
both populations would be large and diverse, retaining all of their original alleles in their original frequencies.
the population in location b would have reduced genetic diversity and changed allele frequencies.

Explanation:

The small population in location B is more vulnerable to genetic drift, especially after a catastrophic event like a mud - slide. Genetic drift is stronger in small populations. The mud - slide reduces the number of individuals, and when the population reproduces over several generations, it is likely to have reduced genetic diversity and changed allele frequencies due to random sampling of alleles in the smaller gene pool. The larger population in location A has more genetic stability and is less likely to be severely affected in terms of allele frequencies and overall diversity.

Answer:

The population in location B would have reduced genetic diversity and changed allele frequencies.