A population of cheetahs on the plains in southern Africa has very little genetic variation compared to other species in the area. Scientists are concerned that the cheetah population will not survive extreme environmental changes. What is the name of the effect the scientist observed and why is it a concern?(1 point)

Question

Responses

Substitution mutation, because the these mutations cannot be passed to offspring
Substitution mutation, because the these mutations cannot be passed to offspring

Bottleneck effect, because environmental stresses affecting one cheetah could affect them all
Bottleneck effect, because environmental stresses affecting one cheetah could affect them all

Frameshift mutation, because it only produces ineffective proteins
Frameshift mutation, because it only produces ineffective proteins

Disaster effect, because the cheetahs have mutated to produce ineffective proteins

Answer 1

The correct response is:

Bottleneck effect, because environmental stresses affecting one cheetah could affect them all.

The bottleneck effect occurs when a significant reduction in population size leads to a loss of genetic diversity. As a result, the remaining population may be more susceptible to environmental changes and diseases, as there is less variation in genes that might confer resilience to stressors.