Answer to Question #60494 in Evolution for Sanjukta Ghosh

Question #60494

What are the evolutionary significance of genetic drift apart from fixing a mutation irrespective of adaptive value? It will be very useful if you could give four points.
(Though according to my research there is no significance apart from the one mentioned.Please reply even if there isn't an answer.)

Expert's answer

Genetic drift is the change in the frequency of a gene variant (allele) in a population due to random sampling of organisms. Along with natural selection, mutation, and migration it is one of the basic mechanisms of evolution.
Genetic drift can result in evolutionary divergence.
It can result in the loss of rare alleles and decrease the gene pool.
Genetic drift can cause a new population to be genetically distinct from its original population.