easy · Enhanced ACT reading
The 'founder effect' occurs when a small group of individuals breaks off from a larger population to establish a new colony. This new population often has significantly lower genetic diversity than the original population and may have a higher frequency of rare inherited traits. A study found that a remote mountain community had a 15% frequency of a rare genetic disorder, compared to 0.5% in the general population.
What does this finding suggest about the history of the mountain community?
- The community was likely established by a very small number of ancestors, at least one of whom carried the allele for the rare genetic disorder.
- Living at high altitudes causes spontaneous mutations in human DNA that lead to the development of rare genetic disorders in every generation.
- The general population has evolved to be completely immune to the disorder, while the mountain community has remained genetically identical to ancient humans.
- The rare disorder actually provides a significant survival advantage in mountain environments, which is why the frequency is so much higher there.
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