A small population isolated at the edge of a species' geographic distribution may experience ____ and genetic drift, which may lead to the evolution of distinctive traits by ____.
A) population bottlenecks; artificial selection
B) a founder effect; natural selection
C) gene flow; natural selection
D) natural selection; population bottlenecks
E) population bottlenecks; founder effects

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

A small population isolated at the edge of a species' geographic distribution may experience a founder effect and genetic drift, leading to the evolution of distinctive traits through natural selection. The founder effect occurs when a new colony is started by a few members of the original population, leading to a reduction in genetic variation and potential for different evolutionary paths.

A Small Population Isolated at the Edge of a Species