where does variation in the traits of a population come from
Genetic variation Genetic variation is brought about, fundamentally, by mutation, which is a permanent change in the chemical structure of chromosomes. Genetic recombination also produces changes within alleles.
History of genetics In breeding experiments between 1856 and 1865, Gregor Mendel first traced inheritance patterns of certain traits in pea plants and showed that they obeyed simple statistical rules with some traits being dominant and others being recessive. These patterns of Mendelian inheritance demonstrated that application of statistics to inheritance could be highly useful; they also contradicted 19th century theories of blending inheritance as the traits remained discrete through multiple generation of hybridization.[11]