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Chapter 27: Problem 17

Why is genetic drift more significant in small populations? Why does it take longer for genetic drift to cause allele fixation in large populations than in small ones?

Short Answer

Expert verified
Genetic drift is more significant in smaller populations due to fewer individuals maintaining allelic frequencies, leading to stronger effects of random events on the gene pool. Allele fixation happens more quickly in small populations for the same reasons, while in large populations, genetic variety and higher numbers of individuals decelerate this process.

Step by step solution

01

Understanding Genetic Drift

Genetic drift is a mechanism of evolution that causes changes in the allelic frequencies of a population as a result of random events or chance. It significantly affects small populations since the fewer individuals, the higher chance for random events to alter the gene pool.
02

Significance of Genetic Drift in Small Populations

In small populations, genetic drift is more significant due to the higher likelihood that chance alone will impact the gene pool. In other words, because there are fewer individuals contributing genes to the following generations, even minor changes (like death before reproduction) can result in significant shifts in allele frequencies. This can eventually lead to the loss of genetic variation within populations, and different populations could become genetically unique due to differing genetic drift occurrences.
03

Effect of Genetic Drift on large Populations

In contrast, genetic drift has less dramatic effects on large populations. This is because the larger the population, the more individuals there are to maintain or spread existing allelic varieties. This diversity makes genetic drift less able to change allelic frequencies, resulting in a slower pace towards allele fixation.
04

Understanding Allele Fixation

Allele fixation is the process where a particular allele becomes the only allele at its locus in the population - it is 'fixed' in the genetic make-up of all individuals. It happens more quickly in small populations due to fewer competing alleles and higher likelihood of events making one allele predominant. In large populations, multiple factors (number of individuals, genetic diversity, etc.) slow down this process.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

Describe the similarities and differences among directional, balancing, disruptive, and stabilizing selection.

When two populations frequently intermix due to migration, what are the long- term consequences with regard to allele frequencies and genetic variation?

What is the intuitive meaning of the mean fitness of a population? How does its value change in response to natural selection?

In a population, the frequencies of two alleles are \(B=0.67\) and \(b=\) \(0.33\). The genotype frequencies are \(B B=0.50, B b=0.37\), and \(b b=\) \(0.13\). Do these numbers suggest inbreeding? Explain why or why not.

What is the difference between a neutral and an adaptive evolutionary process? Describe two or more examples of each. At the molecular level, explain how mutations can be neutral or adaptive.
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