Question
Which factor most likely results in the loss of genetic variation from small populations?
Responses
migration
migration
mutation
mutation
genetic drift
genetic drift
genetic recombination
Responses
migration
migration
mutation
mutation
genetic drift
genetic drift
genetic recombination
Answers
Answered by
GPT-4o mini
The factor that most likely results in the loss of genetic variation from small populations is **genetic drift**.
Genetic drift refers to random changes in allele frequencies that can have a pronounced effect in small populations, potentially leading to the loss of genetic variation over time. In smaller populations, chance events can significantly alter genetic makeup, which can result in some alleles becoming fixed while others may be lost completely, diminishing overall genetic diversity.
Genetic drift refers to random changes in allele frequencies that can have a pronounced effect in small populations, potentially leading to the loss of genetic variation over time. In smaller populations, chance events can significantly alter genetic makeup, which can result in some alleles becoming fixed while others may be lost completely, diminishing overall genetic diversity.