Name: Hardy-Weinberg Equation
Uploaded: 2019-07-19
Duration: 12 min 16 s
Description: In this video, let us watch Paul Andersen explain the elements in the Hardy-Weinberg equation, including the allele frequency and phenotype frequency.

Question

Briefly describe Sewall-Wright effect.

Accepted Answer

The Sewall-Wright effect, also called genetic drift and called genetic sampling error, is the change in the gene pool of a small population that takes place strictly by chance. This theory was proposed by an American scientist Sewall Wright in the year 1930. He was a founder of population genetics alongside Ronald Fisher and J. B. S. Haldane. This effect is dependent on the gene frequency of a reproducing small population.

Genetic drift or the Sewall-Wright effect causes the disappearance of gene variants completely; thus, causing a reduction in genetic variation in a population. Repetitive mating in a small population causes a reduction in the proportions of heterozygotes and results in an increase in the number of homozygotes.

The genetic drift can lead to an increase in certain rare alleles in an organism. The genetic change in the population occurs due to genetic drift acting on neutral mutations after a long time.

Such deviations in the genetic composition may lead to speciation or formation of a new species. When small grouped individuals due to genetic drift become founders of a new population, it is called as founder effect.

Briefly describe Sewall-Wright effect.

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