Question

Northern Elephant Seals and the Bottleneck Effect Northern elephant seals underwent a severe bottleneck in the 1880s, possibly down to fewer than 20 individuals. Many studies have examined the effect of this bottleneck on the evolution of the species. Data from one study can be found in the table below. Please examine the table and answer the questions that follow. Frequencies of northern elephant seal mtDNA genotypes. Seal bones, Seal skins, Seal bones, Seal bones, skin or tissue Seal tissue 1000-1800 1892 1914-1980 Post-1980 Post-1980 (Genotype 1)1 0 4 78 29) (Genotype 2) 0 2 2 31 11 (Genotype 3) 2 0 0 0 0 (Genotype 4) 1 0 0 0 0 (Genotype 5) 1 0 0 0 0

1. How many samples were taken from organisms that lived before the bottleneck?

2. Has genotype diversity increased or decreased over time? Support your claim. In your answer, make sure to address the following: a. Is there a strong likelihood that genotype was a new mutation after the bottleneck? Why or why not? b. Is there a strong likelihood that genotypes 3, 4, and 5 still exist? Why or why not?

Answer 1