In an Experiment, Jokela and Colleagues Reared 14 Replicate Populations

question 9

Multiple Choice

In an experiment, Jokela and colleagues reared 14 replicate populations of a snail species that is polymorphic for sexual/asexual reproduction under controlled, identical conditions in the lab. Each population started with 35% asexual and 65% sexual individuals. The figure below shows the percentage of asexual individuals after a year-long experimental run. Which of the following statements is NOT a possible explanation for these results?

• A) Asexual females survived better under the experimental conditions.
• B) Asexual females produced more offspring per individual than sexual females.
• C) Avoiding the cost of males allows faster population growth for the asexual subpopulation.
• D) A novel mutation after the start of the experiment led to the increased survival of the asexual line with the mutations.

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