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What is genetic drift and how does it affect the evolution of a species?
Wiki User
∙ 10y ago
All events that result in changes in allele frequencies in populations contribute to evolution. Genetic drift likewise. Genetic drift is no different from all other reproductive variation, save that the term refers to changes that are more or less neutral.
Wiki User
∙ 11y ago
Wiki User
∙ 10y agoGenetic drift is a random change in allele frequency in populations, small populations. Examples are the best teaching tool here. Say, for instance, you have a beetle population on a small island, mostly green (dominant allele) and some brown ( recessive allele. The island experiences a drought and all the vegetation turns brown from the usual green. The predators of these beetles now will attack the green, easily sighted beetle and pass over the brown beetle more often. Now, just by this random environmental occurrence, the brown beetle alleles grow in frequency in this population of beetles. Naturally, these allele shifts can happen often in small populations in restricted environment due to changes in those environments. Large populations ( probably not on small islands ) can move, distribute the allele changes better and not have such a wide allele shift as small populations.
So, evolution, the change in allele frequency over time in a population of organisms is taking place with genetic drift.
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In evolution is genetic drift adaptive maladaptive both or neither?
my notes from my class say maladaptive....
What types of population does genetic drift affect?
Isolated populations can lose genetic diversity through genetic drift. This is because some alleles can be lost by chance. Many more homozygous individuals are likely.
Does genetic drift increase or decrease genetic variation in populations and why?
It is important to understand that each individual has different genes. Genes can be lost if an individual dies without reproducing. To answer your question: There are two type of effects caused by Genetic Drift. The founder effect happens when a few species inhabit a new territory. If only those species reproduce then there are less genes in the gene pool and that leads to less variation. This can happen if storms sweep birds to a previously uninhabited island. The other effect is the bottleneck effect. This happens if a disease or poaching drastically reduces the number of individuals in a population. Since there are less individuals who can reproduce there are not as many genes that can be passed down.
What causes many endangered species that are now found only in zoos to have very little genetic variations?
Founder effect refers to the loss of genetic variation when a new colony is established by a very small number of individuals from a larger population. As a result of the loss of genetic variation, the new population may be distinctively different.Bottleneck effect is an evolutionary event in which a significant percentage of a population or species is killed or otherwise prevented from reproducing, and the population is reduced by 50% or more, often by several orders of magnitude.Population bottlenecks increase genetic drift, as the rate of drift is inversely proportional to the population size.They also increase inbreeding due to the reduced pool of possible mates.
How does genetic variation affect the type of traits of adaptations in the individuals of a species?
Variation in and of itself does not affect the traits seen in the overall population. This is because gene frequency and subsequent changes in phenotype generally occur only when the phenotype is "selected" for or against in a population. Granted increased genetic variation is the potential for change, however just as in physics potential has to be acted on for change to occur.The population of a species represents it's entire gene pool. The Hardy-Weinburg Principle states that the frequency of a gene remains the same as long as it is neither selected for or against.Smaller populations can change rapidly due to genetic drift and isolation (which is more of a twist of random probability than selection, like getting heads ten times in a row tossing a penny) selection translates into change in a larger population.
A random change in a population's allele frequency?
Evolution is the change in allele frequency over time in a population of organisms. By mutation, genetic drift, gene flow and natural selection.
Is genetic drift an adaptive change?
Genetic drift is considered a form of evolution. If a single population is split into two isolated groups then genetic drift will result in increasing differences over time. Eventually they will become two different species, unable to interbreed even if the two groups are brought back together.
Evolution is the gradual change in phenotype frequency of a species what process causes evolution?
Mutation, genetic drift, gene flow and the driver of adaptive change, natural selection.
What is the process called when allele frequencies in a population of a species change over time?
Evolution; the change in allele frequencies over time in a population of organisms.
Was Genetic drift a factor in the diversity and evolution of humans?
False, was.
A result of chance events in evolution is called?
genetic drift
Species drift to form a new species?
I think you mean genetic drift. Genetic drift is not strong enough in itself to cause speciation generally. Genetic drift is merely a sampling error in allele frequency change due to random events.
When is genetic drift a major factor evolution?
When there is low gene flow
When genetic drift a major factor of evolution?
When there is low gene flow
When is genetic drift major factor of evolution?
When there is low gene flow
What is a part of macro-evolution?
Micro-evolution is not only a part of macro-evolution, it is the same mechanism as macro-evolution. Macro-evolution includes speciation, as a result of continuing micro-evolution.
Does genetic drift lead to evolution?
Yes. Genetic drift-- the change in allelic frequencies of a population due to chance-- can play a major role in evolution. The effects of drift are most pronounced in small, isolated populations. Drift can bring alleles to fixation very quickly in such populations, and can lead to genetic differentiation between them, possibly contributing to speciation.
