Question

A population of lizards lives in an isolated area where local rocks contain a high concentration of radioactive elements. A study of this population would MOST LIKELY show

A) a lower than average mutation rate.
B) a higher than average mutation rate.
C) a higher survival rate than other lizard populations.
D) an increase in size compared to other lizard populations.
Eliminate

Answer 1

B) A higher than average mutation rate.

Step-by-step explanation

A mutation occurs whenever there is a permanent change in the nucleotide sequence of the genome of any given organism.

A radioactive element undergoes radioactive decay and in this process emits radiations that can cause mutations.

So, the lizards living in the area where there is a high concentration of radioactive material in the rocks will have a higher rate of mutations.