The diagram shows the frequency of alleles A and a in a population over three generations. The starting allele frequency of A is p = 0.6.

Question

The population remains in the same location and does not experience any environmental changes. Which best describes what is happening to the population over three generations?

a
genetic drift
b
allopatric speciation
c
reproductive isolation
d
founder effect

Answer 1

a) genetic drift

Genetic drift is the random fluctuation of allele frequencies in a population due to chance events. In this case, the changes in allele frequencies over three generations are likely due to genetic drift rather than any specific environmental or selective factors.