Problem 12 How do genetic drift, nonrandom ... [FREE SOLUTION]

Chapter 15: Problem 12

How do genetic drift, nonrandom mating, and natural selection interact?

Short Answer

Expert verified

Genetic drift introduces random gene variations, while nonrandom mating contributes to the change in the overall genetic makeup of the population. These changes can then create traits which are selected by natural selection for survival advantages. Thus, all three processes work together to contribute to the genetic diversification and evolution of species.

Step by step solution

Understanding Genetic Drift

Genetic drift is a random fluctuation in the frequency of the appearance of a gene in a population due to chance. Because of the randomness aspect, it tends to reduce genetic variability.

Understanding Nonrandom Mating

Nonrandom mating, or preferential mating, occurs when the probability that two individuals in a population will mate is not the same for all possible pairs of individuals. It usually results in a change in the overall genetic makeup of the population and can often induce positive assortative mating (like pairs with like), or negative assortative mating(like pairs with unlike). It leads to an alteration in the gene frequency and increases genetic variation.

Understanding Natural Selection

Natural selection is the process wherein organisms with traits more suited to the environment tend to survive and produce more offspring subsequently resulting in the traits being more common in the population over time. Survival of the fittest ultimately leads to evolution of the species.

Interaction

The effects of genetic drift, nonrandom mating, and natural selection are interconnected. Genetic drift is non-directional and random, while natural selection favors the survival of the fittest leading to a directional change. Nonrandom mating, on the other hand, doesn't change allele frequencies, but it does change genotype frequencies. Moreover, genetic drift can introduce random changes which can be acted upon by natural selection, while mating patterns can influence which traits are subject to selection. Ultimately, these all contribute in shaping the genetic structure of a population.

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How do genetic drift, nonrandom mating, and natural selection interact?

Short Answer

Step by step solution

Understanding Genetic Drift

Understanding Nonrandom Mating

Understanding Natural Selection

Interaction

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