Intro to Computational Biology
Genetic drift is a mechanism of evolution that refers to random changes in allele frequencies within a population over time, often due to chance events. This process can lead to significant shifts in genetic variation, particularly in small populations, where the effects of random sampling are more pronounced. Genetic drift contrasts with natural selection, as it does not favor traits that provide a survival or reproductive advantage but rather leads to changes that are incidental and stochastic.
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