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The low genetic diversity within the French Island koala population can be explained by A - VCE - SSCE Biology - Question 29 - 2022 - Paper 1
Question 29
The low genetic diversity within the French Island koala population can be explained by A. the bottleneck event. B. the founder effect. C. gene flow. D. mutations.
Worked Solution & Example Answer:The low genetic diversity within the French Island koala population can be explained by A - VCE - SSCE Biology - Question 29 - 2022 - Paper 1
Step 1
A. the bottleneck event.
Answer
A bottleneck event occurs when a population's size is significantly reduced for at least one generation, leading to a loss of genetic diversity. This can result in a population that is genetically similar due to the small number of individuals that survived.
Step 2
B. the founder effect.
Answer
The founder effect describes a situation where a new population is established by a very small number of individuals, leading to reduced genetic variation as the new population is derived from a limited gene pool. In this context, it is the most relevant explanation for the low genetic diversity observed in the French Island koala population.
Step 3
C. gene flow.
Answer
Gene flow is the transfer of genetic variation from one population to another. While this process can introduce new genetic material, it typically increases genetic diversity rather than reducing it, making it an unlikely explanation for the low genetic diversity in this case.
Step 4