Question

which population is more likely to exhibit a bottlenecking event?
a. a population of 10 individuals where 9 have black fur and 1 with white fur
b. a population of 1000 individuals where 900 have black fur and 100 with white fur
c. a population of 100 individuals where 90 have black fur and 10 with white fur
d. all of these have an equal chance of a bottlenecking event

Explanation:

The bottleneck effect occurs when a population's size is drastically reduced. Smaller populations are more vulnerable to random events that can cause a bottleneck. In option a, the population size is the smallest (10 individuals). A random event (like a natural disaster) could more easily wipe out a large proportion of this small population compared to the larger populations in options b (1000 individuals) and c (100 individuals). Option d is incorrect because population size affects the likelihood of a bottleneck.

Answer:

A. a population of 10 individuals where 9 have black fur and 1 with white fur