Which mutation scenario will always lead to natural selection?

Question

1. a mutation causes a specific advantage within the population
2. a mutation causes a gene to become inactivated
3. a mutation causes an inactivated gene to be reactivated
4. a mutation causes a specific variation within the population

Answer 1

Among the scenarios you provided, the one that will always lead to natural selection is:

1. A mutation causes a specific advantage within the population.

This scenario directly contributes to natural selection because if a mutation provides a specific advantage, individuals with that mutation are more likely to survive and reproduce, passing the advantageous traits to the next generation.

The other scenarios may affect a population but do not guarantee that natural selection will occur:

2. A mutation that causes a gene to become inactivated may be neutral or detrimental, depending on the context, and might not lead to a selective advantage.

3. A mutation causing an inactivated gene to be reactivated could also vary in its effects. It might be advantageous, neutral, or detrimental.

4. A mutation causing a specific variation within the population doesn’t necessarily lead to natural selection unless that variation provides a differential advantage or disadvantage in reproductive success.

Thus, the first option is the most directly associated with natural selection.