Answer :
The answer: microevolution.
Microevolution is the change that happens in allele frequencies over a relatively short time, like from generation to generation. This change in allele frequencies can be due mutations, natural selection, artificial selection, gene flow, gene migration and genetic drift.
Microevolution is the change that happens in allele frequencies over a relatively short time, like from generation to generation. This change in allele frequencies can be due mutations, natural selection, artificial selection, gene flow, gene migration and genetic drift.
Microevolution is the change in allele frequencies within a population from generation to generation due to factors like natural selection and genetic drift. Genetic drift is a random change in allele frequencies and has a larger impact on small populations. Population genetics studies track these changes over time to understand evolution within species.
Generation-to-generation change in the allele frequencies in a population is referred to as microevolution. Microevolution tracks the shifts in these frequencies within a species or population over time. Population genetics, which includes the study of genotypes and allele frequencies, is the field that lays out the groundwork for understanding how these changes occur.
For instance, in a study of mosquito populations in Equatorial Guinea, researchers analyzed allele frequencies of a pesticide resistance gene. They found that the frequency of one resistance allele was 6.3%, another was 74.6%, and the non-resistance allele was 19.0%. These frequencies, when summed up, represent the gene pool of that population. When such frequencies shift due to factors like natural selection, genetic drift, or the founder effect, the population is said to be evolving. Genetic drift, in particular, is a random change in allele frequencies caused simply by chance, such as when one individual has more offspring than another due to random events, rather than an evolutionary advantage.
Genetic drift is especially significant in small populations where random events can have a disproportionate impact on the population's gene pool. The offspring represent a random sample of the parents' alleles, meaning that alleles may survive or disappear from a population due to pure chance. This randomness can result in a notable change in allele frequencies, evidencing the microevolution of that population.
