Before Contact with Europeans, a Tiny, Isolated Group of South

Before contact with Europeans, a tiny, isolated group of South Pacific islands had a population of about 50,000 people. Because of poor management of their own resources, the population fell to around 5000 by about the year 1750. When Europeans finally arrived, they brought smallpox, and after the ensuing epidemic, only about 800 islanders were left alive. The unusual genetic makeup of the native population is due to what phenomenon?

A) genetic drift
B) bottleneck effect
C) gene flow
D) speciation

Correct Answer:

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