Microevolution

Question 1

Do haploid asexuals or diploid sexuals evolve faster? Why?

Answer 1

Haploid asexuals because they are haploid, have shorter generation times and often have much larger populations.

Question 2

How does purifying selection reduce genetic variation? What counteracts this?

Answer 2

Low fitness alleles tend to be lost, good ones go to fixation. Mutation counteracts purifying selection.

Question 3

What are the different models of gene flow?

Answer 3

Continent-island model (one-way migration to a separated population)

Island model (random migration between separate populations)

Stepping-stone model (migrants only come from neighboring populations)

Isolation-by-distance model (gene flow from local neighborhoods in a continuously distributed population)

Question 4

Gene flow causes rapid changes in ____ but can be opposed by ______

Answer 4

Allele frequencies, natural selection

Question 5

What is a reaction norm?

Answer 5

A reaction norm is a property of a genotype or a clone.
Describes the set of phenotypes produced by a single
genotype as the environment varies.