Population Genetics Flashcards
How do you describe the allele frequencies in a population that is not evolving?
Allele frequencies are stable
What is it called when a population is not evolving?
Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium
What is Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium used as when studying actual populations?
A null hypothesis
What are the characteristics of a population not evolving (a population in Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium)?
- No natural selection
- Extremely large population size (no genetic drift)
- No mutations
- No gene flow
- Random mating
If you can’t observe a population from generation to generation, how can you determine if the population is in Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium?
Use allele/genotype frequencies within a generation and probability to determine if the population is likely evolving
What is a gene pool?
All copies of every (or a specific) gene in a population
What are the equations for Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium?
p + q = 1
p^2 + 2pq + q^2 = 1
In the Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium equation, what does each letter represent?
p is the frequency of one allele (typically the dominant allele), and q is the frequency of the other allele (typically the recessive allele)
The probabilities of p and q can be applied to what?
Random mating
i.e. there is a p% chance that each sperm and egg has allele 1 and a q% chance that each sperm and egg has allele 2
What do population Punnett Squares do?
Predict the genotype frequencies based on population allele frequencies for a population that is not evolving
Find the probability that sperm and egg will have allele 1 or allele 2
What are the 5 properties of natural selection?
- There needs to be variation in the population for a given phenotypic characteristic
- There needs to be a selective/environmental pressure
- There needs to be differential survival/reproduction of phenotypes in response to a selective pressure
- There needs to be heritability of the phenotypic characteristic
- Alleles for the adaptive phenotype will be more common in the next generation
What are the 5 types of selection?
- Directional selection
- Stabilizing selection
- Disruptive selection
- Balancing selection
- Sexual selection
What is the biological definition of fitness?
The average reproductive output of all organisms bearing a specific genotype
Individuals with a higher fitness do what?
Pass their genes on at a greater rate than individuals with lower fitness
If individuals with fitness differences are due to differences in alleles, what is expected?
Alleles associated with higher fitness will be more frequent in the next generation
What are the 5 components of differential reproductive success that having a specific allele might affect? (Does having this allele impact…)
- Viability
- Fecundity
- Gamete Viability
- Mating Success
- Fertilization Success
What is viability?
The probability that an individual bearing a genotype will survive
What is fecundity?
Number of gametes per individual
What is gamete viability?
Alleles that impact longevity or quality of sperm/egg
What is mating success?
Number and quality of mates
What is fertilization success?
Alleles impact the probability that fertilization will occur
What is directional selection?
Changes in the average phenotype in the population in one direction
What does directional selection do to a population’s genetic diversity?
Reduces it
What is stabilizing selection?
Reduces genetic variation in a trait, but does not change average value of a trait over time by reducing both extremes in a population
What is disruptive selection?
When intermediate phenotypes are selected against and extreme phenotypes are favored
What does disruptive selection do to a trait’s diversity within a population?
Increases the trait’s variation
Disruptive selection may be a factor in what?
Speciation- the formation of new species
Disruptive selection leads to the presence of what?
Extremes
What is balancing selection?
When no single allele has distinct advantage and there is a balance among several alleles in terms of their fitness and frequency
What type of individuals have the higher fitness in a population experiencing balancing selection?
Heterozygous individuals
What happens to genetic variation in a population experiencing balancing selection?
Genetic variation is maintained
Can be a consequence because selection will not happen quickly
With small populations, genetic drift can have what affects
- Random, non-adaptive changes in allele frequency between generations
- Founder effects
- Bottleneck effects
With respect to fitness, genetic drift is what?
Random
With genetic drift, changes in allele frequency are ________.
Not adaptive