Midterm 1 Flashcards
Who does evolution work in and when does it not occur?
Works on a population of individuals
If the alleles are the same as the original population then evolution doesn’t occur
Define macroevolution
Change of allelic frequencies from one generation to the next that ultimately leads to reproductive isolation
When does a new species occur?
When two populations are sufficiently different that they can no longer reproduce
What is evolution impossible without genetic variation?
Without genetic variation, allelic frequencies will be constant and therefore no microevolution occurs
What are the two types of genetic variation?
Discrete (polymorphism)
Quantitative
Define heterozygosity
A population measure of genetic diversity at a single locus (2pq)
What is the problem with looking at heterozygosity in a single allele?
Does not accurately represent genetic diversity for all loci in a species
Define species heterozygosity
Estimate of the genetic diversity across all the loci in a genome
What is the average heterozygosity?
Heterozygosity averaged over a random sample of many loci
What is the allelic diversity?
A population measure average number of alleles per locus
Where does genetic variation come from?
Mutations
Chromosomal changes
Sexual reproduction
How do mutations affect genetic variation?
Mutations create new genetic variation creating heritable changes in the DNA if occurring in the gametes
Can be lethal, neutral, deleterious, or advantageous
Describe chromosomal changes
Includes inversions, translocations, deletions, fusions, and duplications
Give an example of fusion
Chromosome 2 in humans is remarkable similar to chromosomes 12 and 13 in chimps and gorillas, suggesting that it arised from the fusion of the two
How does sexual reproduction effect genetic variation?
Meiosis recombination/crossing over
Independent assortment
Fertilization
What is assumed in the hardy-Weinberg equilibrium?
- No mutations
- No immigration
- Large population size
- All genotypes have equal fitness
- Random mating occurs
What occurs when mating is random with no evolutionary forces?
Allele frequencies (p&q) stay the same from one generation to the next
What is the hardy-Weinberg equation?
(p+q)^2 = p^2 + 2pq + q^2
What is the fitness of a genotype?
The ability of a genotype to be passed on during reproduction
What are the mechanisms that cause evolution?
Mutations Gene flow Genetic drift Natural selection Non random mating/inbreeding
What is gene flow?
New things entering a population
Individuals entering a population with new genes
Why is gene flow important?
The idea of managing gene flow is critical to endangered species and fragmented habituated
Fragmented habitats stop gene flow and cause extinction to occur faster
What does genetic drift do?
Reduces the genetic variability
In small populations random selection leads to genetic drift which leads to a loss of genetic diversity and fixation of alleles
Causes the loss of alleles from generation to generation
What is the founder effect?
A small number of individuals leave and begin a new population
There founding populations are small and result in the loss of genetics
What is a population bottleneck?
A large portion of the population is killed off resulting in lower genetic diversity
What is currently happening to genetic frequencies?
Genetic frequencies are drifting to dominance and loss of alleles resulting in homozygousity
Describe natural selection
The favouring of some phenotypes over others
Describe how coral reproduces
Sperm and eggs float to surface and are swept out to the ocean and settle down
What causes natural selection?
Changing environmental pressures
The phenotype that is more relatively fit leave more offspring
Causes a gradual change in population phenotypes from one generation to the next
Give an example of natural selection
The lion fish was accidentally introduced into the carribian by aquariums and devestated the fish population
Those fish with a more cryptic phenotype will have higher reproductive success
Give an example of non random breeding/inbreeding
In 1987 there was 27 condors remaining so serious captive breeding programs were initiated
Today there is 425 condors
However one condor had a mutation that caused chicks to die leading to serious effects on the breeding program
This caused a lose of herterozygosity
How do you measure the inbreeding coefficient?
F = 1- H(observed)/H(expected)
What is the equation of the pedigree path analysis?
F = E(1/2)^n(1 + F)
Is evolution by natural selection random?
No it is not random but a consequence of differential survival and reproductive success of individuals within a population - relative fitness
Describe adaptive evolution
Acts on the phenotype Reduces genetic variation but seldom seen because of diploidy and balancing selection Three types: 1. Directional 2. Stabilizing 3. Disruptive
Define microevolution
Change of allelic frequencies from one generation to the next
What is directional evolution? Give an example
Gradual shift of a phenotype in one direction
The average age of maturity in cod in Newfoundland had shifted as they need to reproduce earlier in order to keep up with the fishing
What is stabilizing evolution? Give an example
Gradual lose of an outside phenotype
Wild beast in Africa all give birth in the same week. This allows a larger number to survive as the predators are full
What is disruptive evolution?
Separates phenotypes
Polar bears and grizzly bears are the same species with different phenotypes
Can produce fertile pizzly bears
Give an example of diploidy
HFE gene chromosome 6
A single point mutation causes the autosomal recessive disorder, haemochromatosis
Accelerates the rate of intestinal iron absorption and progressive iron deposition
Cirrhosis of liver, diabetes, testicular failure, cardiomyopathy
10% of Celtic British and scandanavian are carriers, 1% suffer
Describe balancing selection
Natural selection favouring balanced polymorphism
What is balanced polymorphism?
Two or more phenotypes maintained in stable proportions over many generations
Generally occurs when natural selection favours heterozygotes (sickle cell), different alleles favoured in different environments (snails), frequency dependent selection (fish eating bugs)
Why is no organism perfectly adapted to it’s environment?
- Natural selection can only act on existing variations
- Evolution is limited by historical constraints
- Adaptations are often compromised
- Chance, natural selection, and environment interact
What are the 4 different definitions of a species?
Morphological
Ecological
Biological
Phylogenetic