short tandem repeat loci (microsatellites)：Loci consisting of short sequences (2–6 nucleotides) that are repeated multiple times. Alleles at short tandem repeat loci differ from one another in their number of repeats.
Genetic drift：The random fluctuations in allele frequencies over time that are due to chance alone.
Variance：A measure of the amount of variation around a mean value.
Diversifying selection：Selection in which different alleles are favoured in different populations. It is often a consequence of local adaptation (in which genotypes from different populations have higher fitness in their home environments owing to historical natural selection)
Hardy–Weinberg proportions:When the frequency of each diploid genotype at a locus equals that expected from the random union of alleles. That is, the genotypes AA, Aa and aa will be at frequencies p2, 2pq and q2, respectively.
Heterozygote advantage:A pattern of natural selection in which heterozygotes are more likely to survive than homozygote