Which of the following statements is most accurate or true?

a. The nearly neutral theory posits that the vast majority of substitutions influence the fitness of individuals in a highly negative manner.

b. the nearly neutral theory posits that the vast majority of mutations influence the fitness of individuals in a highly negative manner.

c. the neutral theory posits that the vast majority of mutations do not influence the fitness of individuals.

d. the neutral theory posits that the vast majority of substitutions do not influence the fitness of individuals.

Question

Biology

Ernie

21 April, 11:45

Which of the following statements is most accurate or true?

a. The nearly neutral theory posits that the vast majority of substitutions influence the fitness of individuals in a highly negative manner.

b. the nearly neutral theory posits that the vast majority of mutations influence the fitness of individuals in a highly negative manner.

c. the neutral theory posits that the vast majority of mutations do not influence the fitness of individuals.

d. the neutral theory posits that the vast majority of substitutions do not influence the fitness of individuals.

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Answers (1)

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Miles Chan · Answer 1

c. the neutral theory posits that the vast majority of mutations do not influence the fitness of individuals

Explanation:

The neutral theory proposed by Motoo Kimura states that the vast majority of changes at the molecular level (DNA) in a population happens due to genetic drift, not by natural selection, this implies that the mutations are neutral and do not give an advantage to the organisms.

This means that mutant alleles are preserved due to the randomness of life and not because this alleles give selective advantage over other individuals of the population.