Why is a species that has few individuals at greater risk of extinction than a species with a large population size?
A) A species with few individuals is more likely to be eliminated by a reduction in population size caused by a chance environmental event like bad weather or a fire.
B) There's no risk to a small population as long as genetic diversity is high.
C) A species with few individuals is likely to have a high percentage of heterozygotes. This can reduce the likelihood that the species can adaptively evolve in response to environmental changes.
D) Genetic drift allows small populations to avoid the loss of advantageous alleles from the population.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

A species with few individuals is more vulnerable to chance environmental events that could dramatically reduce the population. With a small population size, there is less genetic diversity, so the loss of even a few individuals can have a significant impact on the overall genetic makeup of the species. This can make it difficult for the species to adapt to changing environmental conditions and increases the risk of extinction.

Why Is a Species That Has Few Individuals at Greater