If people with freckles preferentially mated with other people with freckles, this would be an example of
A) microevolution.
B) natural selection.
C) genetic drift.
D) nonrandom mating.
E) gene flow. In order for nonrandom mating to occur on freckles, individuals would have to choose mates based on the presence or absence of freckles. This is called preferential mating, and it results in a trait, such as freckles, being selected for and passed along to progeny if the trait is heritable.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Nonrandom mating refers to the process where individuals tend to mate with others who have similar characteristics. If people with freckles preferentially mated with other people with freckles, this would be an example of nonrandom mating as they are selecting mates based on the presence or absence of freckles. This can lead to an increase in the frequency of the freckles trait in the population over time. This process is different from natural selection, genetic drift, microevolution, and gene flow, which all involve different mechanisms of evolution.

If People with Freckles Preferentially Mated with Other People with Freckles