What Accounts for the Fact That Polydactylism Is Prevalent and Tay-Sachs

question 106

Multiple Choice

What accounts for the fact that polydactylism is prevalent and Tay-Sachs disease virtually absent in one human population in the United States, while Tay-Sachs disease is prevalent and polydactylism virtually absent in another?

• A) Natural selection has promoted these differences since humans live in many different environments.
• B) Mutation rates differ between different loci.
• C) There is little gene flow between the two populations.
• D) The populations are small, and therefore genetic drift is a major factor in the determination of allele frequencies.
• E) Genetics is an unpredictable science.

---

Definitions:

Demonstrate

To show or prove something clearly through evidence or actions.

Threatening Impulses

Internal desires or drives that are perceived as dangerous or unacceptable, leading to anxiety or distress.

Defense Mechanism

Psychological strategies employed by the unconscious mind to manipulate, deny, or distort reality in order to defend against feelings of anxiety and unacceptable impulses.

Reaction Formation

A defense mechanism where an individual behaves in a way opposite to their actual feelings or impulses, often to hide those feelings from themselves and others.