Question

What are 3 ways in which allele frequencies could change over time?

Answer 1

Allele frequencies in a population can change due to natural selection, genetic drift, and gene flow. These mechanisms drive the evolution of species by increasing beneficial traits, allocating gene variations by chance, and mixing genetic material from different populations.

Step-by-step explanation:

Natural selection, genetic drift, and gene flow are three primary mechanisms by which allele frequencies in a population may change over time. Natural selection occurs when alleles that confer advantageous traits lead to increased survival and reproduction, causing an increase in frequency of those alleles. Genetic drift is a random process whereby some individuals, by chance, contribute more to the next generation’s gene pool, thereby changing allele frequencies. Lastly, gene flow involves the exchange of genes between populations, introducing new alleles to the population and altering frequencies.

Examples of these mechanisms in action include changes in the peppered moth populations during the Industrial Revolution due to natural selection, random changes in small populations through genetic drift, and the introduction of new genetic variations via gene flow when individuals from different populations interbreed. These processes are critical in understanding the dynamics of evolutionary change in natural populations.

Answer 2

Allele frequencies can change through natural selection, genetic drift, and gene flow. Natural selection favors alleles that confer advantages for survival and reproduction, genetic drift involves random changes in small populations, and gene flow results from the movement of individuals and their genes between populations.