Final answer:
Several factors can influence the probability of an individual mating and result in genetic drift. These include chance events, immigration or migration of new individuals, differential survival and reproduction, and the founder effect.
Step-by-step explanation:
There are several factors that can influence the probability of an individual mating and result in genetic drift:
- Chance events: Natural disasters or other chance events can cause genetic drift. For example, if only white rabbits in a population get killed by a storm, the allele for white fur will diminish or disappear in the population.
- Immigration or migration: The arrival of new individuals with different alleles can introduce genetic variation and influence genetic drift. For instance, if several white rabbits migrate into a population of mostly brown rabbits, the allele for white fur will increase within the population.
- Differential survival and reproduction: If certain individuals have higher survival and reproductive rates due to traits unrelated to their genetic makeup or advantage, it can result in genetic drift. For instance, if all the white rabbits in a population get eaten by wolves because their white fur stands out and is more visible, the proportion of the allele for white fur in the population will decrease.
- Founder effect: If a small group of individuals starts a new population in a new location or a population gets divided by a physical barrier, the genetic structure of the new population can be different from the original population due to genetic drift. This effect is seen in the genetic history of Afrikaners in South Africa, where mutations that are common in Afrikaners but rare in other populations are believed to be due to a higher-than-normal proportion of founding colonists carrying these mutations.