Question

1. which of the following populations is most likely to be in hardy-weinberg equilibrium?

birds competing for nest sites
bacteria with mutating genomes
prairie dogs with established burrows
a few starfish in a tidal pool

Explanation:

To be in Hardy - Weinberg equilibrium, a population must meet several conditions: no mutation, no gene flow, large population size, random mating, and no natural selection.

• For "birds competing for nest sites", there is likely natural selection (competition affects survival/reproduction), so not in equilibrium.
• For "bacteria with mutating genomes", mutation is occurring, which violates a Hardy - Weinberg condition.
• For "prairie dogs with established burrows", if the population is large, random mating is likely, and there's no indication of mutation, gene flow disruption, or strong natural selection. Established burrows suggest a stable environment with less competition - related selection pressure compared to the others.
• For "a few starfish in a tidal pool", the population is small, so genetic drift is likely, violating the large population size condition.

Answer:

C. prairie dogs with established burrows