The Sickle-Cell Allele Is Pleiotropic (I

Multiple Choice

The sickle-cell allele is pleiotropic (i.e., it affects more than one phenotypic trait) . Specifically, this allele affects oxygen delivery to tissues and affects one's susceptibility to malaria. Under conditions of low atmospheric oxygen availability, individuals heterozygous for this allele can experience life-threatening sickle-cell "crises." Such individuals remain less susceptible to malaria. Thus, pleiotropic genes/alleles such as this can help explain why

A) new advantageous alleles do not arise on demand.
B) evolution is limited by historical constraints.
C) adaptations are often compromises.
D) chance events can affect the evolutionary history of populations.