Reference no: EM132931584
Analyze these populations.
Two populations of water snakes (Nerodia sipedon) lie on either side (east and west) of a large, busy, highway that effectively prevents individual snakes from crossing from one side to the other. The color pattern of these snakes is governed by a gene with two alleles, dark (D) and mottled (M).
The following conditions were observed in these populations.
- Initially the frequency of D was 0.5 in each population.
- Estimates of the population size shortly after the opening of the highway indicated about 100 snakes on either side of the highway.
- The habitat, including potential food and predators, is similar on both sides of the highway. There is no evidence of a difference in survival of dark and mottled snakes.
How do you expect the frequency of D will compare in the two populations after many generations?
Group of answer choices:
A. The frequency of D might go up in both, might go down in both, or might go up in one and down in the other.
B. The frequency will not change in either population.
C. The frequency of D will go up in both populations.
D. The frequency of D will go down in both populations.
E. The frequency will of D go up in one population and down in the other.