10. Genefic drifl results in a change in the gene pool of a population, and can be described as a mechanism of evolution.How does genetic drift change a population's gene pool? A. Individuals develop adaptations and pass them on to their offspring. B. It causes random changes in allele frequencies in small populations. C. Individuals at one end of a population growth curve have higher fitness. D. If causes mutations in the DNA, which lead to a difference in the survival ability of organisms.

## Step 1<br />Genetic drift is a mechanism of evolution that involves random changes in the frequencies of alleles in a population. This process is particularly significant in small populations, where the effects of genetic drift can be more pronounced.<br /><br />## Step 2<br />Option A, "Individuals develop adaptations and pass them on to their offspring," describes the concept of acquired characteristics, which is not a recognized mechanism of evolution. This idea was proposed by Jean-Baptiste Lamarck and has been largely discredited in favor of Darwinian natural selection.<br /><br />## Step 3<br />Option B, "It causes random changes in allele frequencies in small populations," accurately describes genetic drift. In small populations, the effects of genetic drift are more pronounced because each individual's genetic makeup represents a larger fraction of the total gene pool. This can lead to significant changes in allele frequencies over generations, simply due to chance.<br /><br />## Step 4<br />Option C, "Individuals at one end of a population growth curve have higher fitness," is more descriptive of directional selection, a type of natural selection, rather than genetic drift. In directional selection, individuals with traits at one end of the spectrum have higher fitness and are more likely to survive and reproduce.<br /><br />## Step 5<br />Option D, "It causes mutations in the DNA, which lead to a difference in the survival ability of organisms," is incorrect because genetic drift does not cause mutations. Mutations are changes in the DNA sequence that can occur spontaneously or due to environmental factors. Genetic drift, on the other hand, is a process that affects the distribution of existing alleles in a population.