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Random, unpredictable changes in gene frequencies in a population from one generation to the next, which in smaller, isolated populations, can quickly compound, making the smaller group genetically distinct from the larger.

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Final answer:

Genetic drift is a random change in allele frequencies that occurs in a small population, leading to genetic differences between smaller and larger populations.

Step-by-step explanation:

Genetic drift is a random change in allele frequencies that occurs in a small population.

Another example of genetic drift is when one individual in a population of ten individuals dies before leaving any offspring, causing all of its genes to be lost. In a larger population, the impact of losing one individual is much smaller.

Population genetics studies how allele frequencies change over time and how natural selection, genetic drift, and founder effects can lead to significant changes in a population's genome.

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