Because migration is a one-time event, what may be required later to achieve further genetic changes?

Because migration is a one-time event, what may be required later to achieve further genetic changes?

• A. No further changes are needed
• B. Migration must be repeated on a regular basis
• C. Other forces must be used to make further changes after migration
• D. The population will automatically adapt

Answer: (C)

Migration moves existing genes into a population, which can change allele frequencies and reduce differences between populations. But it doesn’t by itself create new genetic variation or drive ongoing change over generations. To achieve further genetic changes after a migration event, other evolutionary forces must come into play—natural selection can shift the frequencies of alleles that affect fitness, mutation can introduce new alleles to be acted on, and genetic drift or non-random mating can also alter frequencies in certain contexts. In short, migration sets the stage, but additional forces are needed to produce additional genetic changes.

Migration moves existing genes into a population, which can change allele frequencies and reduce differences between populations. But it doesn’t by itself create new genetic variation or drive ongoing change over generations. To achieve further genetic changes after a migration event, other evolutionary forces must come into play—natural selection can shift the frequencies of alleles that affect fitness, mutation can introduce new alleles to be acted on, and genetic drift or non-random mating can also alter frequencies in certain contexts. In short, migration sets the stage, but additional forces are needed to produce additional genetic changes.