lecture 1 Flashcards
Purpose of pop genetics ?
This branch of genetics uses knowledge of the rules of inheritance to predict how the genetic composition of a population will change under the forces of evolution and compares the predictions to relevant data
how is modern genetics different
- Modern population genetics is quite different from the historical study due to advancements in technology
○ High frequency
○ Appearance of new alleles
○ Not just human population genetics - other organisms as well
ex of modern tech - zebra
- New technology + a deeper understanding of genetics allowed for the zebra to be correctly identified
- Has a rare melanin reduction gene
- Mutation that differentiated the spotted foal from typical zebras
- Spotted in the wild every few years- very rare, especially rare in adult zebras
○ Young foal with the mutation likely do not survive into adulthood
ex of tech- neander
- Neanderthals have larger craniums
- Originally when they were discovered, their differently shaped craniums were thought to be a disease in homo sapiens that caused a deformity
- Hominid known from skeletal remains in europe, northern africa, and western asia
13,000 years - 200,000years ago
define eugenics
Eugenics is the scientifically incorrect and immoral theory of racial improvement and planned breeding - theory that humans can be improved through selective breeding of populations
how is eugenics still occuring
○ Ex. Forced sterilization of indigenous women
○ Eugenics relating to disabled bodies
White replacement theory
when did eugenics gain popularity
- Gained popularity in the 20th century
○ “perfect” human beings and eliminate “undesirable” individuals through selective breeding + sterilization- Started in 1883 in europe and reached the US
what is epigenetics
- Epigenetics - study of how your behaviors and environment can cause changes to the functionality of your genes
Ie. Maybe a mutation leads to a positive performance due to your environment
is epigenetics reversible? what causes it
- Epigenetic changes are reversable and do not change DNA sequences, but, they can change how your body reads a DNA sequence
○ Stressors
What type of protein is synthesize with the stressor present vs when the stressor is removed
what is modern synthesis? founders?
- Mendelian genetics and Darwinian evolution
Main founders: Mendel, Galton, Darwin
who came up with eugenics?
galton came up with eugenics - intended for it to become a religion
○ Believed it could lead to a happy and successful human race
○ Placing emphasis on “elites” to have more children while sterilizing “undesirable” individuals
who was ronald fisher?
- Ronald Fisher (1890-1962)
- British geneticist
- If selection favored one homozygote, the other allele will be eliminated
- Balanced polymorphism
what is polymorphism? ex?
○ A system of genes in which 2 alleles are maintained in stable equilibrium because the heterozygote is more fit than either of the homozygotes
Ex. Sickle cell anemia - autosomal recessive disorder - being a carrier is more beneficial than being homozygote for the trait or for not having it - carriers are resistant to malaria
what is
* Theodosius Dobzhansky (1900-1975) known for
- Book- 1937- genetics and the origin of species
1955- Many genes may have alternative alleles maintained at intermediate frequencies by balancing selection- Known for evolutionary/modern synthesis
- Russian population geneticist who moved to the US
- Mostly worked on fruit flies and looked at what traits are being selected
- Microevolution
look at timeline
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