Question

Genetic drift can influence allele frequencies in a population. Choose the term that best completes each sentence. Drag and drop the correct term into the space provided.

a) Bottleneck Effect
b) Founder Effect
c) μtation
d) Gene Flow

Answer 1

Genetic drift, which includes the bottleneck and founder effects, can change allele frequencies in a population due to random events. Mutations introduce new alleles, and gene flow represents the movement of alleles between populations.

Step-by-step explanation:

Genetic drift can significantly alter the allele frequencies in a population. Two main examples of genetic drift include the bottleneck effect and the founder effect. The bottleneck effect occurs when a large portion of a population is wiped out by an event, such as a natural disaster, leading to a smaller population with different allele frequencies from the original population. The founder effect describes how allele frequencies can change when a small group from a larger population establishes a new population; the allele frequencies of this founding group can significantly differ from the parent population simply by chance.

Mutations and gene flow also play roles in changing allele frequencies: mutations introduce new alleles, while gene flow involves the migration of alleles into or out of a population. These processes, alongside genetic drift, can lead to evolution within populations.