Module 8 Plog Post
If I'm not mistaken, one of the biggest reasons like genetic variation is not eroded over time is because of new mutations arising to create changes in populations. Some of these mutations may be good or bad, and OFTEN (not necessarily always), the bad mutations will be selected against and will go down in frequency. But as we discussed in one of our past classes, if the mutation is in a recessive allele, it will never completely go away as it can be hidden by heterozygote phenotypes, resulting in eventual offspring with the homozygous recessive mutation yet again. Selection doesn't work against heterozygotes here because they present the same as homozygous dominant individuals. In terms of advantageous mutations, it's a little more obvious that these mutations will not go away and will again create genetic diversity that will not be selected against.
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