What does gene equilibrium signify?

Gene equilibrium signifies a state in which the allele and genotype frequencies in a population remain constant from generation to generation, provided that specific conditions are met, such as no mutations, no migration, no selection, random mating, and a sufficiently large population size. This stability indicates that no evolutionary forces are acting on the population, hence there are no changes in gene frequency, which directly correlates to the absence of evolution in that population.

In this context, a lack of change in gene frequency means that the population is not evolving; it is effectively in a state of balance regarding its genetic structure. This principle is foundational to the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium concept in population genetics, which serves as a baseline to identify when evolution is occurring within a population.