What's the Deal with Genetic Variation?

    Selection doesn't mean that genetic variation is eliminated; it simply means one allele or one pairing of alleles is favored. Those that aren't favored (variation of group genetics) are still passed on in the background, and thus are still heritable. 

    Mutation is always a great way to gain genetic variation in a population. Mutations can randomly arise, and because they are random in what genetic material they affect, can increase genetic variation. Of course, how long it sticks around in a population's gene pool depends whether the mutation is advantageous or not. 

    Another great way for a population to increase genetic diversity is immigration. When new individuals come into a population that originated from a separate population, they bring a portion of their previous gene pool with them. That previous gene pool might have some different variations of genes than the new gene pool, and thus the organism's immigration increased the genetic variation.


Comments

  1. Andy SuOctober 28, 2021 at 1:40 PM

    Hi Katie,

    In my blog post, I only mentioned migration once but I think you did a good job explaining how individuals from populations in one area may move into another area, contributing to diversification of the gene pool through adaptation of a new environment. This is a good factor to why we see that genetic variation is not eliminated as selection coincides with other mechanisms of evolution, like migration.

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