Tests on wild cheetahs have shown that there is low genetic diversity among individuals. Wildlife biologists and conservationists are worried about what this means for the survival of this species. Why is low genetic variability a big problem when it comes to a species survival in a changing habitat?

Tests on wild cheetahs have shown that there is low genetic diversity among individuals. Wildlife biologists and conservationists are worried about what this means for the survival of this species. Why is low genetic variability a big problem when it comes to a species survival in a changing habitat?

Biology Today and Tomorrow without Physiology (MindTap Course List)

5th Edition

ISBN:9781305117396

Author:Cecie Starr, Christine Evers, Lisa Starr

Publisher:Cecie Starr, Christine Evers, Lisa Starr

Chapter17: Communities And Ecosystems

Section: Chapter Questions

Problem 4SQ

See similar textbooks

Similar questions

imagine that you have a population of monkeys the variety within the species allows for monkeys to be long tailed or tailless; carnivorous or herbivorous; and brown or blonde furred. Describe an example of an environmental change to happen to these monkeys that over many generations?
Many species of birds have elaborate mating rituals that include bird calls, nest construction, and courtship displays. A researcher is comparing two populations of birds with similar morphology that live in similar niches. Male birds in one population build a nest before attempting to court a female, while males in the other population build the nest in cooperation with the female. Is it likely the researcher will classify these birds as the same species?
In which situation will populations experience gene flow? A)hybridization between two populations of ground beetles B)natural-selection pressures between two populations of dragonflies C)mate competition between two populations of red-legged grasshoppers D)intersecting migration routes between two populations of monarch butterflies
A population of a snake species with three skin color variations inhabited a deciduous forest in southern chile. In 2000, many trees in the forest were cut down for timber. The number of snakes of each color was monitored for the next 10 years. The results if this study are recorded in the graph below. Describe how variation affects the survival of this snake species in new environmental conditions?
What is an example of how migration causes changes in gene frequencies? Genetic material can become lost over time due to lack of reproduction when animals migrate. When animals migrate, their genes mutate on their own, changing the frequency that a gene allele shows up. When animals migrate, the mating becomes less random, causing inbreeding and, therefore, shifts in the proportion of alleles. Seeds of plants are carried to different locations and introduced to a new population, adding their own genetic material and, therefore, changing gene frequencies.
Is there evidence that random genetic drift in the inbred Swedish population had led to a decline in mean fitness that was sufficient to cause the extinction of the population? Here, I am asking about the Swedish population before the outbred snakes were introduced. What is the evidence for a decline in mean fitness, if you believe this happened?
After a fire devastates all of the trees in a wide swath of forest, populations of a species of tree-dwelling frogs on either side of the burned area diverge and become different species. This is an example of what?
On large, black lava flows in the deserts of the southwestern United States, populations of many types of animals are composed primarily of dark individuals. By contrast, on small lava flows, populations often have a relatively high proportion of light-colored individuals. How can you explain this difference?
On large, black lava flows in the deserts of the southwestern United States, populations of many types of animals are composed primarily of black individuals. By contrast, on small lava flows, populations often have a relatively high proportion of light-colored individuals. How can you explain this difference?
At the edge of the Arctic Circle, owls prey on field mice. Occasionally, in a litter of white field mice, a brown mouse appears. Because of greenhouse warming, the snow melts, changing the environment to shades of brown. What is most likely true regarding the brown mice before the greenhouse warming? The brown mice population was large in number. The brown mice population was small in number. The fur color of mice changed to white because they needed to survive. There were no brown mice born before greenhouse warming.
What factors influence gene flow between populations?A. The home range size of the species.B. Differences in animal behavior and life history strategies can form effective barriers to gene flow.C. Barriers to gene flow between populations are always physical geographic barriers.D. Reproductive barriers must involved anatomical differences that prevent mating.
The loss of genetic variability within populations is an important concern for conservation biologists when trying to conserve a species whose numbers have been greatly reduced due to loss of habitat. This is true for the example of the Bengal Tiger, Clemson’s mascot. This reduction of genetic variability in small populations affects their evolutionary potential. Which of the following are NOT potential consequences of the loss of genetic variability for tiger populations? A. Increased homozygosity can lead to the expression of deleterious recessive alleles B. Increases the ability of the population to adapt to changes in the environment C. Decreases the probability that the population can withstand a disease outbreak D. Increases the risk of extinction for the population