Genetic Drift

What is genetic drift?

• A) A predictable change in allele frequency due to natural selection

• B) A random change in allele frequency

• C) The transfer of alleles from one population to another

• D) A change in allele frequency due to mutation

In Genetic Drift, both Genetic Bottleneck and the Founder Effect, the end results are...

Select ALL that apply.

• less genetic diversity withing a population

• a larger population size

• a new gene pool created by random chance

• a population of organisms that are best fit for their environment

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In which type of populations does genetic drift usually occur?

• A) Large populations with stable allele frequencies

• B) Small populations

• C) Populations with high mutation rates

• D) Populations undergoing natural selection

A drastic reduction in the size of a population occurs after a natural disaster or adverse human impacts that can change allele frequencies is called...

• the bottleneck effect

• the founder effect

• the gene flow effect

• the Thanos effect

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What does the Founder Effect refer to in the context of evolution and genetic change in populations?

• The effect of natural selection on a large, diverse population

• The genetic drift that occurs when a new population is established by a very small number of individuals from a larger population

• The increase in genetic mutations when a population size becomes too large

• The process by which a new species is created from an existing species

Which of the following is an example of the bottleneck effect?

• Cheetah populations reach their lowest levels with reduced diversity and as they rebound are so genetically similar they appear to be inbred.

• Affected individuals with blue skin can trace their ancestry back to one of the first settlers in the region.

• The environment of a fox population changes and over time foxes who are white survive and pass on their genes to their offspring.

• Humans choose two dogs they like the characteristics of and breed them together.

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Which of the following is an example of the founder effect?

• Humans choose two dogs they like the characteristics of and breed them together.

• Affected individuals with blue skin can trace their ancestry back to one of the first settlers in the region.

• The environment of a fox population changes and over time foxes who are white survive and pass on their genes to their offspring.

• Cheetah populations reach their lowest levels with reduced diversity and as they rebound are so genetically similar they appear to be inbred.

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Hunting reduced the population size of the northern elephant seal to as few as 20 individuals at the end of the 19th century. Their population has since rebounded to over 30,000, but much have less genetic variation than a population of southern elephant seals that were not intensely hunted. How is the lack of genetic variation related to the hunting episodes of the 1800's?

• Genetic Drift Occurred/Genetic Bottleneck: the few individuals left behind were the seals that passed on the specific gene pool.

• Genetic Drift Occurred/Founder Effect: the few individuals left behind were the seals that passed on the specific gene pool.

• Natural Selection Occurred/Survival of the Fittest: only the strongest northern elephant seals survived in the 1800's and that restricted gene pool exists today.

• Adaptation Occurred: Some seals were able to adapt to the hunting environment and they survived to pass on their genes.

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A virus killed most of the seals in the North Sea (e.g. dropped the population from    8000 to 800).  In an effort to help preserve the species, scientists caught 20 of the   remaining seals and used them to start a new population in the northwest Pacific   Ocean.  Which of the following statements would accurately describe the new   population?  

• The new seal population is genetically less diverse than the original population 
• The new seal population is genetically more diverse than the original population
• There is equal genetic variety compared  to the original population 
• None of the answers

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Match the following

• Population gets smaller (Natural Disaster)

• Mutation

• Starting a new population

• Bottle Neck

• Change in DNA sequence

• Founders Effect

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