Question

In a random mating population in equilibrium, which of the following brings about a change in gene frequency in a non-directional manner?

• A. Migration
• B. Mutations
• C. Random drift
• D. Selection

Answer 1

The correct option is C Random drift

Gene frequency is the relative frequency of an allele or a variant of a gene at a particular locus in a population. These gene frequencies can be restored from one generation to another generation in a random mating population, only if migration, mutations, random drift or selection processes do not occur.

But practically, these changes do occur continuously in any populations, So, when a large group of random mating population is considered, the changes in gene frequencies are directional if they are caused by processes like migration, mutations, or selection. And when changes in gene frequencies are caused by Random drift, they are non-directional and occur in small populations.

Random drift is also known as genetic drifts in which the changes in gene frequencies occur by chance due to sampling error. Non-directional changes in gene frequencies are those changes which cannot be predicted from generations to generations.

So, the correct answer is 'Randon drift'.