Final answer:
Nonrandom mating can increase homozygous individuals in a population due to assortative mating, where individuals prefer mates who are phenotypically similar to themselves. This preference leads to an increased frequency of homozygous genotypes.
Step-by-step explanation:
Nonrandom mating can increase homozygous individuals in a population. When individuals choose mates that are phenotypically similar to themselves, it is called assortative mating. This type of nonrandom mating increases the frequency of homozygous genotypes in the population.
For example, if peahens prefer peacocks with bigger, brighter tails, they are more likely to mate with those individuals. Offspring from these matings will have a higher chance of inheriting two copies of the same allele, leading to an increase in homozygosity.