Genetic drift is the mechanism of evolution in which allele frequencies of a population change over generations due to chance (Khanacademy.org). When considering evolution at large, it’s very important to remember that evolution can occur from any alteration in allele frequencies in a population over time. This mechanism of evolution often occurs due to a “sampling error” in the selection of alleles for the following generation from the gene pool of the current generation. 

It’s also essential to note that genetic drift is more likely to affect a smaller population than a larger one. In a population of 1,000 dogs (as opposed to 10 dogs), it is very unlikely that the b allele would be lost and that the B allele would reach 100% frequency after a rather small amount of time. However, this gene frequency becomes a totally different situation when it comes to a relatively small population. In a study conducted by the Professor of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology at the University of Arizona, Joana Masel, genetic drift made a much more profound impact in a diploid population of 500 than a diploid population of 5,000. In the diploid population of 500 individuals, allele frequency displayed much more noticeable alterations than allele frequency in the population of 5,000 individuals. This study thus helps to depict the significance of population size in genetic drift as a possible method of evolution.