Genetic Drift

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What is Genetic Drift?

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Genetic Drift is a mechanism of evolution that refers to random changes in allele frequencies within a population, often having a more significant effect in small populations.

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What is a Genetic Bottleneck?

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A Genetic Bottleneck occurs when a population's size is significantly reduced for at least one generation, leading to a loss of genetic diversity.

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What is the Founder Effect?

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The Founder Effect is a type of genetic drift that occurs when a small group of individuals colonizes a new habitat, resulting in a population that may have reduced genetic variation compared to the original population.

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How does random chance influence Genetic Drift?

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Random chance can lead to changes in allele frequencies in a population, meaning that some alleles may become more common or rare purely by chance, rather than by natural selection.

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What is the difference between Genetic Drift and Natural Selection?

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Genetic Drift is a random process that can lead to changes in allele frequencies, while Natural Selection is a non-random process where alleles that confer a survival advantage become more common.

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What is an example of Genetic Drift?

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An example of Genetic Drift is the change in allele frequencies in a small population of animals after a natural disaster, where only a few individuals survive.

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What is the Hardy-Weinberg principle?

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The Hardy-Weinberg principle describes the genetic variation in a population that is not evolving, stating that allele and genotype frequencies will remain constant in the absence of evolutionary influences.

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What role does population size play in Genetic Drift?

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In smaller populations, Genetic Drift can have a more pronounced effect, leading to greater fluctuations in allele frequencies and potentially resulting in the loss of genetic diversity.

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What is an example of a Genetic Bottleneck?

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An example of a Genetic Bottleneck is the northern elephant seal, which was hunted to near extinction, resulting in a significant loss of genetic diversity.

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What is the impact of Genetic Drift on evolution?

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Genetic Drift can lead to the fixation or loss of alleles in a population, influencing the evolutionary trajectory and genetic diversity of that population.