In an Experiment, Jokela and Colleagues Reared 14 Replicate Populations

Multiple Choice

In an experiment, Jokela and colleagues reared 14 replicate populations of a snail species that is polymorphic for sexual/asexual reproduction under controlled, identical conditions in the lab. Each population started with 35% asexual and 65% sexual individuals. The figure below shows the percentage of asexual individuals after a year-long experimental run. Which of the following statements is NOT a possible explanation for these results?

A) Asexual females survived better under the experimental conditions.
B) Asexual females produced more offspring per individual than sexual females.
C) Avoiding the cost of males allows faster population growth for the asexual subpopulation.
D) A novel mutation after the start of the experiment led to the increased survival of the asexual line with the mutations.