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Genetic Drift definitions

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  • Genetic Drift
    Random fluctuation in allele frequencies, especially impactful in small populations, leading to unpredictable genetic outcomes.
  • Allele Frequency
    Proportion of a specific genetic variant within a population, subject to change by chance events.
  • Population Size
    Number of individuals in a group, influencing the magnitude of random genetic changes.
  • Founder Effect
    Genetic pattern arising when a new group is established by a few individuals, reflecting only their genetic makeup.
  • Population Bottleneck
    Sharp reduction in group size due to environmental events, causing rapid genetic shifts among survivors.
  • Fixation
    State where only one genetic variant remains in a population, eliminating all alternatives.
  • Genetic Variation
    Diversity of genetic traits within a group, which can diminish through random allele loss.
  • Neutral Allele
    Genetic variant with no effect on survival or reproduction, mainly influenced by random changes.
  • Deleterious Allele
    Genetic variant that reduces fitness, yet may increase in frequency due to random effects in small groups.
  • Beneficial Allele
    Genetic variant that enhances fitness, but can still decrease in frequency by chance in small populations.
  • Hardy-Weinberg
    Mathematical principle predicting genetic makeup under ideal conditions, serving as a baseline for comparison.
  • Fitness
    Likelihood that a genetic variant contributes to survival or reproduction, influencing evolutionary outcomes.
  • Random Change
    Unpredictable alteration in genetic composition, not driven by selection or adaptation.
  • Generation Time
    Interval between successive generations, over which genetic shifts can accumulate.
  • Probability
    Measure of likelihood for genetic events, underlying the unpredictability of allele frequency changes.