Question

Is this definition of genetic drift correct? The amount of offspring a member of a population has is completely random, so the allele frequencies could get screwed up and that creates evolution

Thanks

Answer 1

Genetic drift or allelic drift is the change in the frequency of a gene variant in a population due to random sampling

Answer 2

whats random sampling?

Answer 3

a method of selecting a sample from a statistical population so that every sample that could be selected has a predetermined probability of being selected.

Answer 4

but what does that have to do with the changes of allele frequencies? What does sampling have to do with anything?

Answer 5

well that might be a bit harder to explain let me just hit the books really quick

Answer 6

Genetic drift or allelic drift is the change in the frequency of a gene variant (allele) in a population due to random sampling. The alleles in the offspring are a sample of those in the parents, and chance has a role in determining whether a given individual survives and reproduces. A population's allele frequency is the fraction of the copies of one gene that share a particular form. Genetic drift may cause gene variants to disappear completely and thereby reduce genetic variation.
When there are few copies of an allele, the effect of genetic drift is larger, and when there are many copies the effect is smaller. Vigorous debates occurred over the relative importance of natural selection versus neutral processes, including genetic drift. Ronald Fisher held the view that genetic drift plays at the most a minor role in evolution, and this remained the dominant view for several decades. In 1968, Motoo Kimura rekindled the debate with his neutral theory of molecular evolution, which claims that most instances where a genetic change spreads across a population (although not necessarily changes in phenotypes) are caused by genetic drift.

Answer 7

So random sampling = the genes the offspring gets are partially due to chance?

Answer 8

yes

Answer 9

And because they are partially due to chance, in small populations that can cause genetic drift which can cause specific alleles to disappear?

Answer 10

also where'd u get that text from?

Answer 11

yes and i got it grom my notes

Answer 12

oh ok. im using biology: life on earth.. are you in ap bio?

Answer 13

nope im in the avrage classes but i could be in ap...i choose not too be.

Answer 14

ok. im in honors bio but taking AP next year (im a freshman). Thanks for your help, cya

Answer 15

im also a freshman i just have no life ha! and see yah @soule