Evolution and Genetic Drift

Paper Summary:

This paper examines how genetic drift occurs when a subset of a population contains different gene frequencies than the larger population because it is a small sample. Over time, evolution and natural selection will work together to make the gene pool of a smaller population different from that of the greater allele distribution. It attempts to show how genetic drift is an important component of evolution and how, together with natural selection, it works to ensure genetic variety in all species.

From the Paper:

"The Old Order Amish of Pennsylvania mate within their own community, and seldom involve the outside community. This loss of genetic diversity has led to a higher incidence of certain inherited diseases within Amish communities. For example, the founder effect in the Amish settlement has caused a variety of conditions, such as dwarfism and Crigler-Najjar syndrome, where the body can't break down bilirubin. Maple Syrup Urine Disease is much more common in the Amish, as is Homocystinuria, where an individual's blood vessels are damaged. In the case of polydactyly, where a person has extra digits, the prevalence among the Amish is much higher. "Today, thanks to large families and restricted marriages, the number of cases of polydactyly among the Amish exceeds the total number in the rest of the world." (Lewis, 246)."

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