Question

A change in the gene pool of a small population due to chance is called ______.

Answer 1

A change in the gene pool of a small population due to chance is called genetic drift.

Explanation:

Genetic drift refers to random changes in allele frequencies within a population that occur by chance rather than through natural selection. It is especially significant in small or isolated populations, where chance events (such as the premature death of an organism carrying a unique allele) can lead to the loss or increase in frequency of certain alleles. Genetic drift tends to reduce genetic variation within populations but can also contribute to speciation by causing populations to diverge genetically over time.