random genetic drift


Random genetic driftFig. 265 Random genetic drift . The frequency of one allele of a gene over many generations. The continuous line represents population A, the broken line population B.

random genetic drift (RGD) or Sewall Wright effect

changes in ALLELE frequency in a population from one generation to another due to chance fluctuations. RGD is important in small populations which are subject to sampling error and where an allele can be lost (0% frequency) or fixed (100%).

The phenomenon was first described by the American geneticist Sewall Wright.