What happens to rare recessive alleles in a population experiencing inbreeding?

Inbreeding occurs when closely related individuals reproduce, which increases the likelihood that offspring will inherit the same alleles from both parents. Rare recessive alleles, which might typically remain hidden in a heterozygous state (where they are not expressed because they are masked by a dominant allele), are more likely to be expressed in the phenotype of the offspring. This is because both parents may carry the same recessive allele, leading to a greater chance that the offspring will inherit two copies of that allele, one from each parent.

As a result, in populations that are inbreeding, rare recessive traits that may have been previously masked are more often observed within the population. This can lead to an increase in the frequency of these recessive traits over time, potentially impacting the population’s overall health and evolutionary trajectory.

The other potential answers do not accurately reflect the biological consequences of inbreeding concerning recessive alleles.