What does the coefficient of inbreeding (F) measure? A) The probability that individuals in a population are heterozygous. B) The probability that a locus will be heterozygous in an individual because it carries two alleles that are are identical by descent. C) The probability that two individuals in a population are the product of a mating between close relatives. D) The probability that a locus will be homozygous in an individual because it carries two alleles that are are identical by descent. E) The probability that two individuals in a population are homozygous

Thus, the correct answer is option - D).

Explanation:

The inbreeding coefficient is a coefficient that is used to measure the probability that a locus will be homozygous in a particular individual due to it carry two alleles that are identical by descent which one gets from the gene of the same ancestor or from one another.

If the number of individuals in an ancestral path is n, and the coefficient of inbreeding is F for a particular common ancestor, then the total participation to the inbreeding coefficient will be (1/2) ^n x (1+F).

Thus, the correct answer is option - D)