The size of a particular appendage in many populations of beetles is determined by alleles at many genetic loci and is largely unaffected by selection.Initially, many populations start with about the same average size of the appendage.Assuming that genetic drift is the only evolutionary process operating, we would expect that over the course of many generations, the average size of the appendage would _______ and that there would be _______ difference in the size of the appendage among the different populations.
A) increase; more
B) increase; less
C) stay about the same; more
D) stay about the same; less
E) decrease; more

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Genetic drift, especially in small populations, leads to random changes in allele frequencies over time. This can cause variations in traits like the appendage size among different populations. However, without selection acting on the trait, the average size within any given population is likely to stay about the same over generations. The differences among populations would increase due to the random nature of genetic drift affecting each population differently.

The Size of a Particular Appendage in Many Populations of Beetles