Three ships are carrying a population of rats as stow aways in their holds on a trans-Atlantic crossing from London to Boston in the 1900s. The ships differ in size, and hold space and as a result, ship A and B carry 100 rats and the ship C has 1000 rats. The rats from ship A escape from the ship and colonize the underground transportation system in Boston where they begin mating with the resident subway population. Ships B and C have been found to carry contraband so the entire ship and its contents are locked up in dry storage, and the rats remain trapped inside for 5-10 rat generations. Part A: What evolutionary process is likely to result in changes in allele frequencies in the US-born rat population in the Boston subway system before and after the arrival of ship A? A. Bottleneck effect B. Mutation C. Gene flow D. Non-random mating What's the rationale? Part B: After several rat generations have passed, you compare the allele frequencies in the rats on ship B (100 original rats) and ship C (1000 original rats). In which ship are you more likely to find allele fixation? A. More likely on ship B B. More likely on ship C C. Equally likely on ship B and C
Three ships are carrying a population of rats as stow aways in their holds on a trans-Atlantic crossing from London to Boston in the 1900s. The ships differ in size, and hold space and as a result, ship A and B carry 100 rats and the ship C has 1000 rats.
The rats from ship A escape from the ship and colonize the underground transportation system in Boston where they begin mating with the resident subway population. Ships B and C have been found to carry contraband so the entire ship and its contents are locked up in dry storage, and the rats remain trapped inside for 5-10 rat generations.
Part A:
What evolutionary process is likely to result in changes in allele frequencies in the US-born rat population in the Boston subway system before and after the arrival of ship A?
A. Bottleneck effect
B. Mutation
C. Gene flow
D. Non-random mating
What's the rationale?
Part B: After several rat generations have passed, you compare the allele frequencies in the rats on ship B (100 original rats) and ship C (1000 original rats). In which ship are you more likely to find allele fixation?
A. More likely on ship B
B. More likely on ship C
C. Equally likely on ship B and C
Gene flow, also known as gene migration or allele flow, is the transfer of genetic material (specifically, alleles) from one population of organisms to another within a species.
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