Frequencies of specific alleles may change drastically due to chance. This is genetic drift, and it can lead to the loss of alleles in isolated populations. Match two forms of genetic drift with their definitions.
1: Drastic reduction in size results in a population losing genetic variation
2: A few individuals of a population disperse and give rise to a new population

Question

Frequencies of specific alleles may change drastically due to chance.  This is genetic drift, and it can lead to the loss of alleles in isolated populations.  Match two forms of genetic drift with their definitions.
1: Drastic reduction in size results in a population losing genetic variation
2: A few individuals of a population disperse and give rise to a new population

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

In this matching question, we’re linking two specific forms of genetic drift to their descriptions.
Option 1: Bottleneck Effect. The description given—'Drastic reduction in size results in a population losing genetic variation'—fits the Bottleneck Effect well. When a population undergoes a severe size reduction, many alleles are lost simply by chance, reducing genetic diversity in the surviving group. This is a classic example of genetic drift acting through a sharp population bottleneck.
Option 2: Founder Effect. The description—'A few individuals of a population disperse and give rise to a new population'—matches the Founder Effect. Here, a small number of individuals establish a new, isolated population, and by sampling error, the new population’s allele frequencies may differ from the original population, often with reduced genetic variation.
Now, evaluate the remaining options to see why they do not describe these drift processes:
- Mutation Effect: This term is not a standard drift form. Mutation introduces new alleles over time and is a mutational process rather than a drift mechanism arising from random sampling in small populations. It does not characterize the loss or redistribution of existing genetic variants due to population size changes.
- Migration Effect: While gene flow via migration can alter allele frequencies between populations, it is not a drift process caused by random sampling within a small population. It involves mixing between populations, which can counteract drift but is a separate evolutionary force.
- Mating Effect: This is not a recognized form of genetic drift. Random mating can influence genotype frequencies in a population, but the phrase 'Mating Effect' does not describe a drift process like bottlenecks or founder events.
- Natural Selection: This is a purposeful differential reproduction based on beneficial traits, not genetic drift. Drift is random with respect to fitness, whereas natural selection is non-random and directional or stabilizing with respect to specific traits.
By comparing each option against the two provided definitions, you can see that 'Bottleneck Effect' correctly aligns with the drastic size reduction and loss of variation, and 'Founder Effect' correctly aligns with the establishment of a new population from a few individuals. The other terms do not accurately describe these drift phenomena and fail to capture the random sampling aspect or the specific scenarios described.

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