What does the Hardy-Weinberg principle assume about populations?

The Hardy-Weinberg principle establishes conditions under which a population's genetic variation remains stable across generations, indicating that evolution is not occurring. The principle assumes several key factors, all of which contribute to maintaining genetic equilibrium within a population.

One of these assumptions is that there are no mutations, which means that the genetic structure of the population remains unchanged over time; any changes in the DNA sequence would produce new alleles and impact allele frequencies.

Another crucial assumption is that there is no natural selection taking place. This means that all individuals in the population have an equal opportunity to survive and reproduce, and there are no preferential advantages conferred by certain traits. Because of this, allele frequencies remain constant.

Random mating is also a foundational assumption of the Hardy-Weinberg principle. This ensures that all individuals have an equal chance of mating with one another, independent of their genetic makeup. Non-random mating can lead to certain alleles becoming more or less common, disrupting genetic equilibrium.

By considering all of these assumptions collectively, the Hardy-Weinberg principle describes a theoretical state of a population that is not evolving. Therefore, the correct answer encompasses all of the necessary assumptions that must hold true for a population to maintain genetic stability.