Question

9 multiple choice 1 point why is it easier for a recessive deleterious allele to be eliminated from a small population than from a large one? a. only a few copies of a recessive allele are present in a small population, and they are more likely to be lost through genetic drift than the many copies found in a larger population. b. disease susceptibility decreases as population size increases, making individuals in a small population more likely to die and eliminate recessive alleles. c. large populations have had greater success in their ecological niche and are thus more fit than small populations, so individuals with deleterious alleles in large populations are better able to withstand the negative effects of the allele. d. reproductive rates are lower in small populations than in large populations due to difficulties in finding a mate. recessive alleles are more likely to be lost when reproduction is slow.

Explanation:

To solve this, we analyze each option:

• Option A: Genetic drift (random allele frequency changes) has a stronger effect in small populations. Fewer recessive allele copies mean higher chance of loss via drift, which matches the question’s context.
• Option B: Population size doesn’t directly relate to disease susceptibility in this way; the logic is flawed.
• Option C: Population “success” in a niche doesn’t directly relate to allele elimination via size; the reasoning is incorrect.
• Option D: Reproductive rates and mate-finding don’t directly explain allele elimination via genetic drift (the key mechanism here).

Answer:

A. Only a few copies of a recessive allele are present in a small population, and they are more likely to be lost through genetic drift than the many copies found in a larger population.