Chapter 4, Problem 1SQ

Summary Introduction

Introduction: The evolution is the process by which the heritable characteristics of an organism changes over successive generations. It is often resulting in new species development. These heritable characteristics are the expressions of genes that passed during reproduction from parent to offspring.

Explanation of Solution

Correct answer: Option c. change allele frequency in a population.

Reasons for the correct answer:

There are four forces of evolution include mutation, genetic drift, natural selection, and gene flow can all change the allele frequencies in a population.

Option c. is given as “change allele frequency in a population”.

Hence, option c. is correct.

Reasons for the incorrect answers:

Option a. is given as “create new alleles that have never existed before”. Mutation, duplication, or other processes can produce new alleles and genes and increase genetic variation, but natural selection, genetic drift, gene flow does not create new alleles. Hence, option a. is incorrect.

Option b. is given as “increase reproduction success of individuals in a population”. The reproduction success of individuals in a population does not increase by the four forces of evolution. Hence, option b. is incorrect.

Option d. is given as “drive alleles to become lost or fixed in a small population”. Genetic drift is the process through which allele frequencies within a population fluctuate but natural selection, gene flow, and mutation do not fix allele in a population. Hence, option d. is incorrect.

Therefore, options a., b., and d. are incorrect.

Conclusion

The natural selection, mutation, gene flow, genetic drift are the four forces of evolution that can change allele frequency in a population.