Tay-Sachs disease is a recessive genetic disease. Individuals with this disease rarely survive past the age of four. In the general population, approximately 1 person in 300 carries the allele for this disease. However, in some populations, including the Irish Americans, the Ashkenazi Jews and the Cajuns from Louisiana, the proportion of Tay-Sachs carriers is much higher (1 in 27 to 1 in 50) than in other populations. Which evolutionary scenario can be predicted to produce a high frequency of Tay-Sachs disease in these populations?

Human Heredity: Principles and Issues (MindTap Course List)
11th Edition
ISBN:9781305251052
Author:Michael Cummings
Publisher:Michael Cummings
Chapter19: Population Genetics And Human Evolution
Section: Chapter Questions
Problem 9QP: Using the HardyWeinberg Law in Human Genetics Suppose you are monitoring the allelic and genotypic...
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Tay-Sachs disease is a recessive genetic disease. Individuals with this disease rarely survive past the age of four. In the general population, approximately 1 person in 300 carries the allele for this disease. However, in some populations, including the Irish Americans, the Ashkenazi Jews and the Cajuns from Louisiana, the proportion of Tay-Sachs carriers is much higher (1 in 27 to 1 in 50) than in other populations. Which evolutionary scenario can be predicted to produce a high frequency of Tay-Sachs disease in these populations?
Select one:
a. All three populations descend from a small number of settlers
b. The Tay-Sachs allele is advantageous at the heterozygous state
c. These populations experienced disruptive selection
d. These populations experienced stabilizing selection
e. These populations have higher than average mutation rates
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