What occurs when a small group from a population colonizes a new area, leading to reduced genetic diversity?

• A. Gene flow
• B. Genetic drift
• C. Mutation
• D. Natural selection

Answer: (B)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the concept of genetic drift: Genetic drift is a mechanism of evolution that refers to random changes in the frequency of alleles (variations of a gene) in a population. It is more pronounced in small populations.
2. Recognize the scenario described: When a small group from a population colonizes a new area, this is known as a 'founder effect,' which is a type of genetic drift.
3. Identify the impact on genetic diversity: The founder effect leads to reduced genetic diversity because the new population is started by a small number of individuals, meaning there is less genetic variation compared to the original population.
4. Differentiate from other concepts: Gene flow involves the transfer of alleles between populations, mutation introduces new genetic variations, and natural selection is the process where traits that improve survival and reproduction become more common. None of these directly describe the scenario of a small group colonizing a new area.
5. Conclude that the correct term for the described scenario is genetic drift, specifically the founder effect, due to the random sampling of alleles from the original population.