William W. answered • 01/10/20
Retired Biology Professor: Tutor and Graduate Admission Consultant
Start with the question: what causes new mutations? The first major cause is copying errors during DNA replication. The second major cause is that some chemical agents and some wavelengths of light cause breaks in DNA, and DNA repair is imperfect. There are a few others as well, but these are the major ones.
Now ask: is genetic variation one of these causes? Genetic variation in a population ultimately RESULTS from mutation, but is it reasonable to think that having different individuals in a population with different alleles CAUSES new mutations? For example, would having a population of humans with a mix of black, brown, blonde and red hair cause new mutations to occur?
