What is the Genetic Drift Simulator?
The Genetic Drift Simulator is an educational tool that visually demonstrates a key concept in population genetics. It models how the frequency of alleles (variants of a gene) can change randomly from one generation to the next due to chance events, a process known as genetic drift.
History of this Feature
Genetic drift has been a fundamental concept in evolutionary biology since the early 20th century, but it can be difficult to grasp without a visual aid. Simulations have been used in academic settings for years to illustrate this random process. Our tool brings this concept to the web in an interactive and accessible format, allowing students to set parameters like population size and initial allele frequencies and immediately see the random, unpredictable outcomes.
Who Commonly Uses This Feature?
This tool is primarily used by biology students at the high school and university levels, as well as educators teaching genetics and evolution. It's a powerful visual aid for understanding how population size impacts genetic diversity and how random chance plays a significant role in evolution, especially in small populations.
How to Use the Genetic Drift Simulator
- Set Up Your Simulation:
- Name your two alleles (e.g., "Red" and "Blue").
- Set the "Population Size" (smaller populations experience stronger drift).
- Use the "Initial Frequency" slider to set the starting percentage of your first allele.
- Define the "Number of Generations" you want to simulate.
- Run the Simulation: Click the "Run Simulation" button.
- Analyze the Results:
- The Chart: The line chart shows how the frequency of each allele fluctuates randomly over the generations.
- Conclusion Report: A summary explains what happened in your specific simulation, such as whether an allele became "fixed" (reached 100%) or was "lost" (reached 0%).
- Generation Data: A table provides the exact count and frequency for each allele in every generation.
Tip: Run the same simulation multiple times to see how the random outcomes differ each time!