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 refers to the transfer of genes between populations. There is no indication of gene transfer from another population here.
• Natural selection is the process where organisms better adapted to their environment tend to survive and reproduce. The seal with albinism is at a disadvantage (almost blind), so natural selection would not favor it in this context.
• Genetic drift is a change in allele frequencies due to random sampling. But albinism is a specific genetic trait change.
• Gene mutation can cause new traits. Albinism is often caused by a mutation in genes related to melanin production. This explains the sudden appearance of a new trait (white color and blindness) in the population.

Answer:

gene mutation