What is the Most Common Reason That New Mutations Are

Question

What is the most common reason that new mutations are lost from a population?
A)Most mutations are caused by exposure to environmental mutagens that result in many mutations in the same individual, leading to death.
B)Most mutations are silent.
C)All new mutations result in lower reproductive fitness.
D)Populations are of a finite size and new mutations can be lost by chance.

Accepted Answer

The most common reason new mutations are lost from a population is due to genetic drift, which is more pronounced in finite populations. Genetic drift refers to the random fluctuations in allele frequencies from one generation to the next, which can lead to the loss of new mutations by chance, especially in small populations.