Genetic recombination occurs during meiosis, specifically during prophase I. During this phase, homologous chromosomes pair up and exchange genetic material through a process called crossing over or homologous recombination. This exchange creates new combinations of alleles on each chromosome, contributing to genetic diversity in the resulting gametes.
Independent assortment of homologous chromosomes occurs during metaphase I of meiosis. During this stage, the paired homologous chromosomes align at the metaphase plate, and the way they line up is random. This random orientation results in the independent assortment of maternal and paternal chromosomes into gametes, further increasing genetic variation among the offspring.