Question

The concept of natural selection is a mechanism of evolution where environmental pressures select for phenotypes that exist in populations based on genetic variation. Which process below would not contribute to the genetic variation in a population of mice?
Responses
A mitotic growthmitotic growth
B sexual reproductionsexual reproduction
C mutations resulting from errors in DNA synthesismutations resulting from errors in DNA synthesis
D crossing over of homologous chromosomes during meiosiscrossing over of homologous chromosomes during meiosis

Answer 1

A

Mitotic growth produces genetically identical daughter cells (except for rare somatic mutations), so it does not create new heritable genetic variation in the population. The other three (sexual reproduction, mutations, crossing over) all generate or shuffle genetic variation.