Genetic drift always causes
A) changes in gene frequencies that are random with respect to adaptation.
B) adaptive changes in gene frequencies.
C) maladaptive changes in gene frequencies.
D) no change in gene frequencies.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Genetic drift is a random process that causes changes in gene frequencies within a population. These changes are not necessarily adaptive or maladaptive, but simply occur due to chance events such as sampling error, founder effects, or population bottlenecks. Therefore, option A is the correct choice. Option B is not correct because genetic drift does not necessarily lead to adaptive changes in gene frequencies. Option C is not correct because genetic drift does not necessarily lead to maladaptive changes in gene frequencies. Option D is not correct because genetic drift always causes changes in gene frequencies, which is the opposite of no change.

Genetic Drift Always Causes