Final answer:
A mutation that changes one base in a DNA sequence to another base can introduce a new allele to a population. Over time, the frequency of the new allele can change due to genetic drift.
Step-by-step explanation:
Mutation is a source of new alleles in a population. A mutation is a change in the DNA sequence of a gene. When a mutation occurs in one individual, changing one base in a DNA sequence to another base, it introduces a new allele to the population. Over time, the mutation can change the frequency of the allele in the population due to genetic drift.
Genetic drift is the effect of chance on allele frequencies in a population. It is most important in small populations. By chance, some individuals may have more offspring than others, not due to any advantage conferred by a genetically-encoded trait, but just due to random factors. If an individual with the new allele happens to have more offspring, the frequency of that allele can increase over time through genetic drift.