Question

A high population of greater prairie chickens once inhabited the prairies of Illinois. The conversion of the prairies into agricultural land caused the chickens to lose their habitat. Studies have concluded that this change greatly reduced the greater prairie chicken population. The habitat loss also resulted in a decrease in the population’s genetic variation.

Which change in the gene pool occurred in the greater prairie chicken population?
gene mutation
gene flow
genetic drift
genetic resistance

Answer 1

Genetic drift.

The habitat loss caused a population bottleneck (small, isolated populations), so random changes in allele frequencies (genetic drift) led to loss of genetic variation.