Question

Which of the following best represents an example of gene flow?
(a)A tsunami wipes out all but a few members
of a sea turtle population that inhabits a beach.
(b)A group of polar bears migrates from the habitat where they live to a nearby forest, where they interbreed with the brown bears.
(c)A large population of prairie chickens is reduced to small numbers by a virus.
(d)A small population of white rhinos is reduced to fewer than a dozen individuals by hunters.
(e)A population of mosquitoes becomes resistant to pesticides used to control their numbers.

Answer 1

Hint: Out of the above-given options we have to choose that option which is the best representation of the transfer of genetic material from one population to another.

Complete step by step answer:
A group of polar bears migrates from the habitat where they live to a nearby forest, where they interbreed with the brown bears. This is the best example of gene flow. Gene flow is said to be the transfer of genetic material from one population to the other of the same species. If the rate of gene flow between two populations is high enough, then two populations will have equivalent allele frequencies and therefore they can be considered a single effective population.

So, the correct answer is, 'A group of polar bears migrates from the habitat where they live to a nearby forest, where they interbreed with the brown bears'.

Additional information: -Gene flow is a crucial mechanism for transferring genetic diversity among populations.
-By modifying allele frequencies the migrants change the distribution of genetic diversity among populations.
-In some cases dispersal leading to gene flow can also end in the addition of novel genetic variants under positive selection to the gene pool of a species or population.
-The species that have low dispersal or mobility are predicted to have lower gene flow, that occur in fragmented habitats, where there are long distances between populations, and also when there are small population sizes.
-Mobility plays a crucial role in dispersal rate, as highly mobile individuals tend to possess greater movement prospects.
-Although animals are thought to be more mobile than plants, pollen and seeds could also be carried great distances by animals, water, or wind. When gene flow is impeded, there is often a rise in inbreeding.

Note:
-Gene flow is said to be the transfer of genetic material from one population to the other of the same species.
-Gene flow is a crucial mechanism for transferring genetic diversity among populations.
-High rates of gene flow can reduce the genetic differentiation between the two groups and increase homogeneity.
-When gene flow is impeded, there is often a rise in inbreeding.