True or False: Any Allele That's Present in a Population

Question

True or false: Any allele that's present in a population exists because it increases fitness.

Accepted Answer

False. There are several factors that can contribute to the preservation of an allele in a population, including genetic drift, founder effects, and neutral mutations that do not affect fitness. Additionally, some deleterious alleles may persist in a population due to factors such as incomplete dominance or heterozygote advantage.