AP BIOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -Summary. Unlike natural selection, genetic drift does not depend on an allele’s beneficial or harmful effects. Instead, drift changes allele frequencies purely by chance, as random subsets of individuals (and the gametes of those individuals) are sampled to produce the next generation.

Detailed explanation-2: -Genetic drift affects the genetic makeup of the population, but unlike natural selection, through an entirely random process. So although genetic drift is a mechanism of evolution, it doesn’t work to produce adaptations. Read more about: The mechanism of genetic drift, sampling error.

Detailed explanation-3: -Genetic drift is the change in frequency of an existing gene variant in the population due to random chance. Genetic drift may cause gene variants to disappear completely and thereby reduce genetic variation.

Detailed explanation-4: -Answer and Explanation: Natural selection and genetic drift are similar in that they both result in a change in the allele frequency of a population.

Detailed explanation-5: -Which statement about genetic drift is correct? ANSWER: Genetic drift becomes increasingly important with increasing population size. The direction of evolutionary change due to genetic drift is random.