Which of the following is a mechanism that generates genetic variation in populations?

• A. Stabilizing selection
• B. Mutation
• C. Genetic drift
• D. Natural selection

Answer: (B)

Mutation introduces new genetic variation by changing the DNA sequence and creating new alleles that weren’t present before. These novel alleles provide raw material for evolution, as natural selection or drift can act on them over generations. In contrast, stabilizing selection tends to remove extreme traits, narrowing variation rather than generating it. Genetic drift shifts allele frequencies by chance without creating new alleles, and natural selection alters frequencies based on fitness but uses existing variation rather than producing new genetic material. Therefore mutation is the mechanism that generates new genetic variation in populations.