The tendency of population to remain in genetic equilibrium may be disturbed by

Options

A. random mating
B. lack of migration
C. lack of mutations
D. lack of random mating

Explanation

**Step-by-Step Solution:**

1. **Understanding Genetic Equilibrium**: Genetic equilibrium, also known as Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, refers to a state in a population where allele frequencies remain constant over generations. This stability is crucial for the population to maintain its genetic diversity.

2. **Factors Affecting Genetic Equilibrium**: Several factors can disturb genetic equilibrium, including:
- Natural selection
- Genetic drift
- Mutation
- Migration (gene flow)
- Non-random mating

3. **Role of Random Mating**: For a population to remain in genetic equilibrium, random mating must occur. This means that all individuals in the population have an equal chance of mating with one another, ensuring that allele frequencies remain stable.

4. **Impact of Selection**: If there is any form of selection (natural or artificial), certain alleles will be favored over others. This leads to an increase in the frequency of those favored alleles and a decrease in others, disrupting the genetic equilibrium.

5. **Migration and Mutation**: Migration can introduce new alleles into the population or remove existing ones, altering the gene pool. Similarly, mutations can create new alleles, further disturbing the equilibrium.

6. **Conclusion**: The lack of random mating is a significant factor that disturbs genetic equilibrium. When mating is not random, it indicates that some selection is occurring, which will lead to changes in allele frequencies and disrupt the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium.

**Final Answer**: The tendency of a population to remain in genetic equilibrium may be disturbed by a lack of random mating.

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