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Origins of Genetic Variation

Genetic drift and the founder effect

  • 3 things to know
  • Papers 2 and 3

Overview

Recall questions on chance change in small populations, genetic bottlenecks, and the founder effect.

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

Your recallNot started
Key term

Why might allele frequencies change following a population bottleneck?

Key term

How does the founder effect begin?

Key term

What is the consequence of the founder effect for allele frequencies in the new population?

Questions from this subtopic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

  1. 1

    What happens to population size during a population bottleneck?

    Model answer

    There is a dramatic reduction in population size.

  2. 2

    How does a population bottleneck affect genetic variation?

    Model answer

    It causes a loss of genetic variation in the surviving population.

  3. 3

    Why might allele frequencies change following a population bottleneck?

    Model answer

    The surviving individuals represent a random sample of the original population, so allele frequencies shift by chance rather than selection.

  4. 4

    How does the founder effect begin?

    Model answer

    A small group of individuals colonises a new area and establishes a new population.

  5. 5

    Why do founder populations carry only a subset of alleles from the original gene pool?

    Model answer

    Because the small number of colonising individuals can only carry a limited sample of the alleles present in the source population.

  6. 6

    What is the consequence of the founder effect for allele frequencies in the new population?

    Model answer

    Allele frequencies in the new population differ from those in the source population.

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