Question

Genetic equilibrium occurs when no one is coming into a population, and no one is leaving the population either. Because of this, no genetic mutation occurs. What is happening here?

Answer 1

Genetic equilibrium is a theoretical state where no evolution occurs within a population, due to five specific conditions being met, including no mutation, no migration, a very large population, random mating, and no natural selection. It's explained by the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium principle.

Step-by-step explanation:

The condition being described, where no evolution occurs in a population, is known as genetic equilibrium. This state can theoretically be achieved under the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium when five specific conditions are met:

1. No mutation occurs, maintaining the DNA sequence unchanged.
2. There is no migration, with no individuals entering or leaving the population.
3. The population must be significantly large to prevent genetic drift.
4. Individuals mate randomly, without any preference for specific genotypes (random mating).
5. No forces of natural selection act on the population, allowing all individuals an equal opportunity to reproduce.

In such a scenario, allele frequencies remain constant from generation to generation, meaning that there is no evolutionary change occurring. This is best understood through the example of the red hair alleles, R and r. If a population is at genetic equilibrium with 90% R and 10% r alleles, these frequencies will remain stable in subsequent generations, provided there are no evolutionary influences like mutation or selection pressures.