During a mission to colonize a new territory, a group of pioneers were to sail across the ocean to a new continent. Before they
set sail, however, a crate of food became infested by a particular species of insect that did not yet exist on the new continent. After the journey, the insects began populating their new surroundings. Which statement best describes how the insect population in the new colony will be different from the original population?
The correct answer is-A Genetic diversity in the new insect population will be lower due to the founder effect.
Explanation:
In founder effect, the genetic pool of a population becomes small because a small number of individuals are separated from a large population and established in a new geographical area.
Therefore due to fewer individuals, these individuals would have less genetic variation than the original population and the genetic pool of the new population would also be small. Small gene pool means less genetic diversity.
So when some individuals of particular species of insects that did not yet exist on the new continent populate in their new surrounding then genetic diversity in the new insect population will be lower due to the founder effect.
