What is one negative consequence of increased mutation rates?

Increased mutation rates can lead to the occurrence of deleterious mutations, which are mutations that have harmful effects on an organism. These mutations can disrupt normal biological processes, leading to impaired function, reduced survival, or even death. While mutation is a fundamental mechanism of evolution and can contribute to genetic diversity, particularly beneficial mutations are relatively rare compared to harmful ones.

When mutation rates are high, the likelihood of accumulating these harmful mutations also increases. Deleterious mutations can affect various traits, potentially leading to reduced fitness in a population. In the context of natural selection, these harmful mutations can hinder an organism's ability to adapt to its environment, ultimately impacting the overall health and viability of populations.

The other options refer to concepts that either do not highlight a negative consequence of increased mutation rates or address different aspects of genetic variation and evolutionary processes. Enhanced genetic diversity and stable phenotypes, for example, can be positive outcomes, while loss of genetic variation pertains to a different context in evolution.