Question

scientists claim that some of the populations in marion county are at an increased risk of decline or extinction. based on the data in table 1, which of the following best provides evidence to support this claim?
a the marion county populations have a higher rate of mutation than the jasper county populations, as evidenced by the higher degrees of relatedness.

b the marion county populations are less stable because they are smaller than the jasper county populations.

c the m2 population has a higher degree of relatedness than the m1 population, meaning that it has more genetic diversity.

d the m4 and m5 populations have the lowest genetic diversity of all populations.

Explanation:

• Option A: Higher relatedness implies less genetic diversity, not higher mutation rate, so A is incorrect.
• Option B: The question is about genetic diversity and extinction risk, not population size directly, so B is not relevant.
• Option C: Higher relatedness means less genetic diversity, not more, so C is wrong.
• Option D: Lower genetic diversity makes populations more vulnerable to decline/extinction as they have less ability to adapt. So D provides evidence for the claim.

Answer:

D. The M4 and M5 populations have the lowest genetic diversity of all populations.