[Campbell Biology P.503] Which statement accurately describes polyploidy and its evolutionar... | Practice Question

Which statement accurately describes polyploidy and its evolutionary significance?

  • A: Polyploidy results from the duplication of a single gene, leading to novel functions.
  • B: Polyploidy is a condition where an organism has extra sets of chromosomes, often arising from non-disjunction in meiosis I, and is a major pathway for speciation in plants.
  • C: Polyploidy is lethal in all cases and thus has no evolutionary role.
  • D: Polyploidy is equally common in animals and plants, facilitating rapid evolutionary changes.

Explanation

The text states that polyploidy is a condition of extra sets of chromosomes resulting from accidents in meiosis I like failure to separate homologs and that it is 'relatively common among plants, especially flowering plants,' contributing to speciation. It also notes that 'in rare cases they could facilitate the evolution of genes.'