Tasmanian devils, a marsupial carnivore, have experienced a severe decline in their numbers due to the spread of a cancer known as Devil facial tumor disease, a condition that results in tumors on their faces that can interfere with their ability to eat or see. Females generally produce their first litter toward the end of their second year. Scientists have recently observed a dramatic increase in the sexual maturity of females at an earlier age, often in their first year. How might genetic drift account for this change?

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Biology

Aguilar

9 April, 15:05

Tasmanian devils, a marsupial carnivore, have experienced a severe decline in their numbers due to the spread of a cancer known as Devil facial tumor disease, a condition that results in tumors on their faces that can interfere with their ability to eat or see. Females generally produce their first litter toward the end of their second year. Scientists have recently observed a dramatic increase in the sexual maturity of females at an earlier age, often in their first year. How might genetic drift account for this change?

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Laylah Pennington · Answer 1

This shows that due to the disease that comes upon the population, this may decrease its number resulting to changes in genetic structure and alterations that scatters throughout the pool. Thus, leading to a loss of genetic diversity and probability of extinction.