Question

in a population of seals, most of the seals have similar coloring. however, one seal has albinism. this seal is white and is almost completely blind. what is most likely the cause of this difference from the rest of the population? gene flow natural selection gene mutation genetic drift

Explanation:

• Gene flow is the transfer of genes between populations, which is not relevant here as it's about a single - seal's trait within a population.
• Natural selection acts on existing variation. But this is a new trait (albinism and blindness in this context), not just selection of pre - existing traits.
• Genetic drift is a change in allele frequencies due to chance in small populations. But the key here is the origin of a new trait (the albino and blind condition).
• Gene mutation is the most likely cause as it can introduce new genetic variations (like the genes causing albinism and associated blindness) in an individual within a population.

Answer:

gene mutation