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

First, let's restate the task: we are matching two forms of genetic drift to their definitions.
Option 1 corresponds to the statement: 'Drastic reduction in size results in a population losing genetic variation.'
Option 2 corresponds to the statement: 'A few individuals of a population disperse and give rise to a new population.'
Now, evaluate each option in turn.
Option 1: Bottleneck Effect — The key idea here is that a large population experiences a sudden and drastic drop in numbers, often due to a catastrophe or severe environmental change. Because only a small subset of the original gene pool survives, genetic variation is greatly reduced in the surviving population. This matches the definition given in the statement about drastic size reduction leading to loss of genetic variation.
Option 2: Founder Effect — This scenario involves a small group breaking away from the larger population and founding a new population in a new location. Because the founding group carries only a subset of the original genetic variation, the new population may have different allele frequencies and reduced diversity compared to the source population. This aligns with the definition describing the establishment of a new population by a few individuals.
Why these two options are not interchangeable for their definitions: the bottleneck emphasizes a reduction in population size within the same population, impacting allele frequencies due to loss of individuals, while the founder effect focuses on the establishment of a new population from a small group, emphasizing founder allele sampling and subsequent drift in the new population. Treating the bottleneck as the founder scenario would overlook the context of creating a new population, and treating the founder effect as a bottleneck would ignore the origin of the small group forming a new population elsewhere.
To further clarify, the sequence under the bottleneck involves surviving individuals after a drastic size drop, with the consequence of reduced variation in the ongoing population. In contrast, the founder effect describes a colonization event where new genetic variation is shaped by the limited initial gene pool of the founders, affecting the next generation.
In summary, the mapping provided—1 → Bottleneck Effect and 2 → Founder Effect—accurately assigns each definition to its respective form of genetic drift, reflecting the distinct mechanisms and outcomes of these two processes.

BIOL_1105_60452_202506 Lesson 21 Homework

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