ASSIGNMENT

EVOLUTION THROUGH GENETIC DRIFT

Genetic drift refers to an evolution mechanism in which the allele
frequencies within a population varies randomly due to sampling error
from generation to generation. It is also called Sewall Wright Effect as
the theory was developed by Sewall Wright in 1930. Genetic drift is a
non directional process and it has strong effects in smaller populations.
It results in allele or genotype fixation and also increases the
homozygosity. Genetic drift does not aim at the increase or decrease of
the frequency of one allele.

Genetic drift, one among the four factors that cause changes to gene
pool over time is explained in the Shifting Balance Theory of Evolution
(Wright in 1931). Here genetic drift is a part of two phase adaptation
process in a subdivided population. Genetic drift causes each
subdivision to undergo a random change in allele frequencies to
explore new combinations in the first phase of adaptation. These
combinations of alleles are fixed in the subpopulation by natural
selection in the second phase and are exported to other demes by
process of migration.

The Neutral Theory of Evolution is also based on mutation and genetic

drift. Genetic variation in DN and protein sequence is a balance
between the two. Mutation creates new allelic variation and this
variability in DNA and protein sequence has been eliminated by genetic
drift thereby achieving a steady state.
Bottle neck effect is an example of genetic drift where the presence or
absence of a single individual can cause large variations in the
frequencies of genes and genotype ratio in a small population. The
reduction in population size could be due to natural disasters.

Another extreme example of genetic drift is Founder effect, where a

small group of individuals break off from a larger population. The
founding individuals of the newly formed colony may have different
allelic frequency with the original population. The new breeding
population thus has strong genetic variation and can even found a
whole new species.

Submitted by,

Bhagya Raj

BBM051904

I MSc Biochemistry