During a severe windstorm on an isolated island, some pollen and seeds from conifers are carried high into the air in a cloud of dust. In which of these situations would the dust cloud containing the seeds and pollen be considered an agent for gene flow?

Question

During a severe windstorm on an isolated island, some pollen and seeds from conifers are carried high into the air in a cloud of dust. In which of these situations would the dust cloud containing the seeds and pollen be considered an agent for gene flow?

A. The dust cloud is subjected to an extended period of ultraviolet radiation, causing a mutation in a gene of the conifer seeds.

B. The dust cloud settles, and a few of the conifer seeds return to the same environment

C. The dust cloud is subjected to electromagnetic radiation from the sun, causing the pollen to be unable to pollinate flowers.

D. The dust cloud settles over a forest on a distant, isolated island and pollinates some conifer trees in that forest

Answer 1

D. The dust cloud settles over a forest on a distant, isolated island and pollinates some conifer trees in that forest. In this scenario, the pollen from the dust cloud is able to transfer genetic material to the conifer trees on the distant island, resulting in gene flow.