Question

Which of the following is not true for allelic diversity:

Select one:

It can be used to infer past demographic processes like founder events

It can be used to detect recent population genetic bottlenecks

It can be related to future adaptive potential

All of the listed statements are true

When low, it can buffer populations against inbreeding depression

Answer 1

In the conservation of genetic studies, allelic diversity is used to measure different types of alleles segregating in the population. It can give information regarding any past fluctuations in the population or the demographic process.

1. It can be used to infer past demographic processes like founder events.

This statement is true. Allelic diversity can detect the asymmetries in the allele frequency in the population occurring because of past demographic events. It is possible because low-frequency alleles tend to disappear during the past fluctuations and thus create clines in the frequency of alleles that form the present surviving low-frequency population.

2. It can be used to detect recent population genetic bottlenecks.

This statement is also true. The bottleneck effect refers to a sudden decrease in population size at least for one generation because of any natural disaster. Allelic diversity declines after a demographic bottleneck effect. The habitat patches where connectivity among populations was maintained suffer less reduction in genetic diversity because of bottleneck effect.  

3. It can be related to future adaptive potential.

The statement is true for long-term adaptations. Short term response to selection in changing environmental conditions depends on the expected heterozygosity or additive genetic variance while long-term response depends on the number of alleles available initially for selection. Since demographic bottlenecks decrease the overall response to adaptation or selection, response to long-term adaptation is directly proportional to the number of alleles for a particular trait. So, a subpopulation adaptation in a changing environment depends on the migration of the rare advantageous alleles from the other subpopulations.

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