Does mutation tend to keep populations from diverging

[sinthreck]

I have my exam in 5 days time and I'm going through old exam papers (which do not have answers):

Mutation:
a) tends to keep populations from diverging
b) is a random process with respect to adaptation
c) increases the supply of genetic variation
d) produces new genetic variants which tend to be slightly deleterious
e) all of the above

I am going with (e) "all of the above" BUT (a) seems wrong.

Does mutation keep populations from diverging?

Surely mutation is the source of the variation and therefore promotes divergence.

[Julie5]

Um, I'd agree with you, but then I wonder whether d is also incorrect, in that maybe the net effect of mutations is that as many are deleterious as advantageous overall .

c is obviously true, but,I wonder if b is a 'trick' one???

Does it say if you can have more than one correct answer? (ie, tick any and all that are true?)

Have to say, this is exactly why I loathe multiple choice exams - they appear easy and in fact they are fiendish, and I find so often it's a question of having to think the way the examiner thinks....

I mean, wouldn't it be MUCH easier to answer the question 'what role does genetic mutuation play in evolution by natural selection - explain your answer' (etc)!!!

Anwyay, let's see what the experts here tell us! (since I am definitely not one of them!!!!! )

[sinthreck]

I'm beginning to think (c) is correct as well.

a) sounds false
b) 'with respect to adaptation', adaptation is adaptive, not random
c) true
d) most mutation is neutral I think...
e) can't be all of the above

[Julie5]

is a random process with respect to adaptation


This is a bit vague - what's 'with respect to' supposed to imply?

After all, mutation is random per se, irrespective of its impact on adaptation (or, rather, adaptability?)

I think C is the only safe one! ??

[Rap]

Mutation:
a) tends to keep populations from diverging
FALSE - It is the very process by which populations diverge.
b) is a random process with respect to adaptation
FALSE (?) - A really "bad" mutation might result in a case where ANY further mutation at that site would be an improvement. (Thats kind of pushing it)
c) increases the supply of genetic variation
FALSE - Not always - a mutation could simply reverse a previous mutation, providing no increase in variation.
d) produces new genetic variants which tend to be slightly deleterious
FALSE - see answer to c)
e) all of the above
FALSE

So I would go with b)