Answer part C using the given table Northern elephant seals (*Mirounga angustirostris*) were hunted to near extinction in the 1890s, with the population reduced to an estimated 20 to 30 individuals. Southern elephant seals (*Mirounga leonina*) have also been affected by human hunting, but populations of this species were not decimated to the extent that they were for the northern species. Genetic variation was examined for these two species.**Table: Genetic Variation in Elephant Seals**| Species | Total number of genes examined | # of genes with more than one allele ||----------------------------------|--------------------------------|--------------------------------------|| *M. angustirostris* (Northern) | 21 | 0 || *M. leonina* (Southern) | 18 | 5 |*Data from Bonnell and Selander (1974) Science 184: 908–909.***Questions:****A. Which population has higher heterozygosity?** 1. Northern 2. Southern**B. Both populations have experienced a ______________.** 1. bottleneck 2. founder effect**C. Which of the following statements is best supported by the data?** 1. Natural selection has acted more strongly on the northern species. 2. There is significant gene flow between the northern and southern species. 3. The southern species has experienced more mutations than the northern species. 4. The northern species has experienced more fixation of alleles by genetic drift.

Genetic drift is the change in the frequency frequency of an existing gene variant in a population due to random sampling of organisms . The alleles in the offsprings are sample of those in the parents and it is a chance factor to determine whether a given individual will survive and reproduce or not. Genetic drift may cause variants in a population to disappear completely and thereby reduce genetic variations .In the first population it is seen that there are zero genes with more than one allele out of the 21 examined genes. In the second population it is seen that there are only 5 genes with more than one allele out of the 18 examined genes. Thus, it can be said that genetic variations has been reduced. The size of both the populations changes suddenly due to excessive hunting by humans. So, the correct option will be option d which says the Northern species have experienced more fixation of alleles by genetic drift.