A scientist has been tracking and studying a population of deer in Yellowstone National Park. He surveys the population every six months. Usually, the population is thriving and has a gene pool with a wide variety of traits. But during one six-month period, an event occurred that affected the population, and when the scientist returned, the amount of genetic variation had decreased significantly. Which of the following is most likely the event that occurred to change the population?

A)Yellowstone National Park expanded its borders.
B)A population of wolves was introduced into Yellowstone National Park.
C)The amount of disease in the deer population decreased.
D)More grass and shrubs were planted in Yellowstone National Park.

This is the most likely event that occurred to change the population. If the genetic variation of the population of deer was reduced significantly in such a short amount of time, then it is most likely due to the fact that a lot of deer died. This could be caused by many factors. Out of the options, the most likely catalyst for this would be that a population of wolves was introduced into Yellowstone National Park.

luisvaschetto luisvaschetto · Answer 2 · 2022-03-30T13:38:32+02:00

The statement 'a population of wolves was introduced into Yellowstone National Park' is most likely the event that occurred to change the population (Option B).

What is a population bottleneck?

A population bottleneck is a phenomenon associated with a dramatic change in the gene pool in a natural population.

A population bottleneck can significantly reduce the genetic diversity and population size.

This event (population bottleneck) may be caused by different types of natural events such as migration or natural disasters (e.g., earthquakes).

In conclusion, the statement 'a population of wolves was introduced into Yellowstone National Park' is most likely the event that occurred to change the population (Option B).

Learn more about population bottlenecks here:

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