In small populations,frequencies of certain alleles may change by chance alone.Such random change in the frequency of alleles is called
A)mutation.
B)migration.
C)genetic drift.
D)nonrandom mating.
E)selection.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The random change in the frequency of alleles in a small population is called genetic drift. This is due to chance events like random deaths, births or migrations, which may result in some alleles becoming more or less common. This is different from mutation, which is a random change in the genetic code, or selection, which is the process by which certain traits are favored or disfavored based on their effect on survival or reproduction. Migration and nonrandom mating also play a role in changing allele frequency, but are not specific to small populations.

In Small Populations,frequencies of Certain Alleles May Change by Chance