Which of the following is a consequence of recessive deleterious alleles in a population?
A) an increase in the frequency of the recessive allele
B) reduced fitness of the population when there is inbreeding
C) an increase in genetic variation due to mutation and migration
D) Mutation-selection balance results in the loss of beneficial alleles.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Recessive deleterious alleles can remain hidden in a population because they do not affect the phenotype of heterozygous carriers. However, when two carriers mate and produce offspring, there is a 25% chance that the offspring will inherit two copies of the deleterious allele and express the phenotype. This can reduce the fitness of the population if there is inbreeding, as mating between relatives increases the likelihood of two carriers mating and producing affected offspring.

Which of the Following Is a Consequence of Recessive Deleterious