2
QuizMultiple Choice

Population Genetics — Unit test

Question 2 • 112 CCHS Environmental Science

Why was the reduction of the bison population to under 1,000 individuals a bottleneck event for the species?

Answer
A
It drastically reduced the gene pool of the species.
B
It reduced the territorial range available to the species.
C
Foreign genes were introduced by crossbreeding with cattle.
D
It reduced the prevalence of recessive traits.

Explanation

A bottleneck occurs when a population becomes very small, leaving fewer individuals to contribute genes to future generations. With fewer than 1,000 bison, many genetic variants could be lost, drastically reducing the species’ gene pool. Therefore, the correct choice is “It drastically reduced the gene pool of the species.”

AI-written and checked against the verified answer.

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