read the following passage from the biology department at university of california, berkeley. northern…

read the following passage from the biology department at university of california, berkeley. northern elephant seals have reduced genetic variation because hunting by humans reduced their population size to as few as 20 individuals at the end of the 19th century. their population has since rebounded to over 30,000, but their genes still carry the marks of this near - extinction: they have much less genetic variation than a population of southern elephant seals that was not hunted as intensely. which of the following best describes how the population has evolved? the population has not evolved because there was no change in allele frequencies. the population has not evolved because it has grown. the population has evolved because it has grown. the population has evolved because there was a change in allele frequencies.

read the following passage from the biology department at university of california, berkeley. northern elephant seals have reduced genetic variation because hunting by humans reduced their population size to as few as 20 individuals at the end of the 19th century. their population has since rebounded to over 30,000, but their genes still carry the marks of this near - extinction: they have much less genetic variation than a population of southern elephant seals that was not hunted as intensely. which of the following best describes how the population has evolved? the population has not evolved because there was no change in allele frequencies. the population has not evolved because it has grown. the population has evolved because it has grown. the population has evolved because there was a change in allele frequencies.

Answer

Brief Explanations:

Evolution is defined by changes in allele frequencies in a population over time. Northern elephant - seals had a drastic reduction in population size due to hunting, which likely caused a change in allele frequencies (a genetic bottleneck). Even though the population has rebounded, the genetic makeup has been altered. Growth of a population alone does not define evolution; it is the change in genetic composition (allele frequencies) that matters.

Answer:

The population has evolved because there was a change in allele frequencies.