Population Genetics

AP Biology· difficulty 2/5

Two populations differing only in size were tracked across generations for the frequency of allele A (p).

Generation p Small N (dashed) Large N (solid)

Which conclusion best fits the graph?

  • A

    Genetic drift causes greater fluctuations in p in smaller populations

    check_circle
  • B

    Selection pressure is stronger in the small population

  • C

    Mutation rate scales inversely with population size

  • D

    Genetic drift acts more strongly in larger populations

Explanation

Genetic drift's magnitude is inversely related to effective population size. Small populations show wider stochastic swings in allele frequency, exactly as the dashed line illustrates.

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