Genetic Diverstiy

Question 1

Demographic stochasticity

Answer 1

Random	fluctuations	
in birth	rate,	death	
rate	and	sex	ratio.
E.g.	Producing	all	male	
offspring.

Question 2

Contrarily	to	large	
popula$ons,	dynamics	
of	small	popula$ons	
are	not	governed	by	
the	law	of	?

Answer 2

averages

Question 3

What is biodiversity?

Answer 3

All levels of biological diversity

Question 4

1. Genetic diversity.

Answer 4

The gene,c varia,on within species, both
among geographically separate popula,ons and among
individuals within single popula,ons.

Question 5

2. Species diversity

Answer 5

All the species on Earth, including bacteria

and protists as well as the species of the multicellular kingdoms (plants, fungi, and animals).

Question 6

Community diversity.

Answer 6

The different biological communities
and their associations with the physical environment (“the
ecosystem”).

Question 7

Why is Gene$c Diversity Important

Answer 7

Evolu$onary change propor$onal to amount
of gene$c diversity (Fisher’s Fundamental
Theorem of Natural Selec$on).
Gene$c traits represent primary level of
biodiversity.
•  Conserva$on challenges can be addressed
with gene$cs data (e.g. iden$fica$on of forces
resul$ng in loss of diversity).

Question 8

How can gene$cs inform conserva$on?

Answer 8

Loss of species leads to loss of gene$c
diversity
•  When con$nuous popula$ons become
isolated from fragmenta$on, gene$c decay
may occur.
•  How does gene$c varia$on protect species
and how does this decay occur?

Question 9

Why does genetic diversity matter?

Answer 9

rimary level of biodiversity
•  Provides evolutionary flexibility within changing
environments (e.g. potential to adapt to diseases,
pests, parasites and global warming)
•  Populations of butterflies, birds and plants with
reduced genetic diversity often experience
reduced growth and increased extinction rates
(review by Keller & Waller 2002)
•  Controversial implications for species recovery,
captive breeding, reintroduction and translocation

Question 10

What is gene$c varia$on?

Answer 10

•  Adapta$ons
–  Traits that increase fitness.
–  Fitness is a measure of individual survival and reproduc$on.

Question 11

How do we get adapta$ons?

Answer 11

Need varia$on: Gene$c differences among individuals (e.g.
bill size/shape)
–  Gene$c varia$on provides the raw material for future
adapta$on and for evolu$on of new species
–  Natural Selec$on: Difference in fitness among individuals
with different traits (hereditary characteris$cs); and
inheritance of that trait by offspring.

Question 12

Genetic diversity Processes

Answer 12

mutations, sexual reproduction,
natural selection, random processes, gene flow
between populations

Question 13

Genetic diversity • Levels:

Answer 13

Within individuals (heterozygosity)
– Among individuals (heterozygosity, allelic diversity)
– Among populations (local adaptations)

Question 14

Why is it important?

Answer 14

•  High heterozygosity may be correlated with

individual fitness

Question 15

Among popula$on divergence may be
especially important to local fitness and
popula$on survival.

Answer 15

– Con$nued adapta$on

– Can lead to specia$on