Question

a) external evolutionary pressure is acting on the population
b) the population is in evolutionary equilibrium with its environment
c) a genetic mutation has not taken place and introduced new alleles
d) random mating is the norm within the population
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Explanation:

To solve this, we analyze the Hardy - Weinberg equilibrium conditions. The Hardy - Weinberg principle states that allele and genotype frequencies in a population will remain constant from generation to generation in the absence of other evolutionary influences. The conditions for Hardy - Weinberg equilibrium are: no mutation, no gene flow, random mating, no natural selection (which is a type of external evolutionary pressure), and a large population size.

• Option a: External evolutionary pressure (like natural selection) acting on the population goes against the Hardy - Weinberg equilibrium conditions. If there is external evolutionary pressure, the allele frequencies will change, so this option is incorrect.
• Option b: If a population is in evolutionary equilibrium with its environment, it means that the conditions for Hardy - Weinberg equilibrium are met (no evolutionary forces acting to change allele frequencies), so this option is correct.
• Option c: The absence of genetic mutations (which introduce new alleles) is one of the conditions for Hardy - Weinberg equilibrium. So this option is consistent with a population in equilibrium.
• Option d: Random mating is one of the key conditions for Hardy - Weinberg equilibrium. So this option is also consistent with a population in equilibrium.

But the question is likely asking which statement is not consistent with a population in Hardy - Weinberg equilibrium (assuming a common type of question about Hardy - Weinberg). Since external evolutionary pressure (option a) will disrupt the equilibrium, the answer is:

We use the Hardy - Weinberg equilibrium conditions. External evolutionary pressure (like natural selection) disrupts allele frequency stability, while options b, c, d match equilibrium conditions.

Answer:

a) External evolutionary pressure is acting on the population