The Effective Population Size Is Often Lower Than the Census

question 2

Multiple Choice

The effective population size is often lower than the census size of a population because

• A) inbreeding depression decreases the fitness of inbred progeny.
• B) populations cannot recover from decreases in heterozygosity.
• C) scientists cannot accurately count the number of individuals in a population.
• D) individuals contribute unequally to future generations.

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Definitions:

Median

The middle value in a set of data when the values are arranged in ascending or descending order, or the average of the two middle values when there is an even number of values.

Extreme Scores

Observations or data points that are significantly higher or lower than the majority of other values in a dataset, potentially influencing overall analysis.

Minimal Impact

An effect so small that it may not have significant consequences or noticeable effects.

Positive Skew

A distribution shape where the tail is longer on the right side of the peak, indicating that the majority of values are concentrated on the left.