Genetic Drift

Genetic drift is change in the allele frequency of a population due to...

• random chance

• natural selection

• non-random mating (sexual selection)

• artificial selection

Answer explanation

Genetic drift is the change in allele frequency of a population due to random chance.

 Genetic Drift is more likely to happen in... 

• aquatic populations

• small populations

• terrestrial populations

• older populations

Answer explanation

Genetic drift is more likely to happen in small populations due to the increased impact of random events on allele frequencies.

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.

Answer explanation

The correct choice is when cheetah populations reach their lowest levels with reduced diversity and rebound with genetic similarity, appearing inbred.

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.

Answer explanation

The founder effect is exemplified by affected individuals with blue skin tracing their ancestry back to one of the first settlers in the region.

determined by dividing the number of a certain allele by the total number of alleles of all types in the population

• population genetics

• microevolution

• gene pool

• allele frequency

Answer explanation

Allele frequency is determined by dividing the number of a certain allele by the total number of alleles in the population. It represents the proportion of a specific allele in a gene pool.

What does the picture represent?

• Founder Effect

• Mutations

• Bottleneck effect

• Gene Flow

Answer explanation

The picture represents the Bottleneck effect, which occurs when a population is drastically reduced in size, leading to a loss of genetic diversity.

What does the image represent?

• Founder effect

• Bottleneck effect

• Mutation

• Natural Selection

Answer explanation

The image represents the Founder effect, which occurs when a small group of individuals establishes a new population with limited genetic diversity.

What does the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium measure?

• changes in allele frequencies

• numbers of mutations

• goodness of fit

• genetic diversity

Answer explanation

The Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium measures changes in allele frequencies, which is the correct choice.

A chance occurrence that negatively affects a population because the population is small.

• genetic drift

• mutation

• speciation

• migration

Answer explanation

Genetic drift is a chance occurrence that negatively affects a small population.

A change in the genetic composition of a population as a result of descending from a small number of colonizing individuals is called:

• founder effect

• bottleneck

• genetic drift

• gene flow

Answer explanation

The change in genetic composition due to a small number of colonizing individuals is called the founder effect.