Population Genetics

Question 1

Assortative mating

Answer 1

The tendency for individuals to mate based on phenotype

Question 2

Bottleneck effect

Answer 2

Occurs when a disaster reduces the population leaving a small number of individuals that don’t represent the genetic makeup of the original population.

Question 3

Founder effect

Answer 3

Occurs when a new population is ‘founded’ by a small number of individuals from an initially larger population; results in loss of genetic variation.

Question 4

Gene flow

Answer 4

The movement of genes or alleles from one population to another (usually as a result og migration.

Question 5

Gene pool

Answer 5

The set of all genes in a population

Question 6

Genetic Drift

Answer 6

The phenomenon of allele frequencies in a population changing over time due to chance events; genetic drift is strongest in small populations.

Question 7

Hardy-Weinberg equation

Answer 7

An equation that demonstrates that allele and genotype frequencies in a population will remain constant from generation to generation in the absence of evolutionary forces.

p^2+2pq+q^2=1

Question 8

Inbreeding

Answer 8

t\The producing of offspring via mating individuals that are closely genetically related.

Question 9

Monomorphic

Answer 9

A population that shows little or no variation in morphology or phenotype.

Question 10

Polymorphic

Answer 10

A population that shows significant variation in morphology or phenotype.

Question 11

Why are the effects of genetic drift strongest in smaller populations?