Question
A forest fire ignites in the Sam Houston State Forest and kills many members of a population of pigmy rattlesnakes.
(1 point)
Responses
Genetic Drift
Genetic Drift
Gene Flow
Gene Flow
Migration
(1 point)
Responses
Genetic Drift
Genetic Drift
Gene Flow
Gene Flow
Migration
Answers
GPT-4o mini
In the scenario described, where a forest fire kills many members of a population of pigmy rattlesnakes, the primary mechanism at play is **Genetic Drift**.
Genetic drift refers to random changes in the allele frequencies of a population due to chance events, particularly in small populations. The forest fire acts as a random environmental factor that reduces the population size, potentially leading to significant changes in genetic diversity and allele frequencies among the surviving snakes.
Gene flow and migration refer to the movement of individuals or alleles between populations, which doesn't seem to be the main focus here since the scenario specifies a reduction within a single population.
Genetic drift refers to random changes in the allele frequencies of a population due to chance events, particularly in small populations. The forest fire acts as a random environmental factor that reduces the population size, potentially leading to significant changes in genetic diversity and allele frequencies among the surviving snakes.
Gene flow and migration refer to the movement of individuals or alleles between populations, which doesn't seem to be the main focus here since the scenario specifies a reduction within a single population.