Topic 7.4 - Population Genetics

Question 1

mutation

Answer 1

a random change in an organism’s genome

Question 2

what can mutation contribute to?

Answer 2

changes in the genetic makeup of a population overtime

Question 3

what can mutations lead to?

Answer 3

create genetic variation within a population

Question 4

what do mutations provide?

Answer 4

new phenotypes that contribute to evolution by natural selection

Question 5

genetic drift

Answer 5

the random change in the frequency of a particular allele within a population

Question 6

is genetic drift nonselective?

Answer 6

yes, it is a nonselective process that generally occurs in small populations

Question 7

what are some examples of genetic drift?

Answer 7

❥ increased death rates and low reproductive rates
❥ natural catastrophes (fires, volcanic eruptions, etc)

Question 8

what contributes to genetic drift?

Answer 8

bottleneck events

Question 9

what is a bottleneck event?

Answer 9

when a large, diverse population is suddenly reduced to a small population

Question 10

founder effect

Answer 10

a random process that reduces genetic variation within a small population due to separation from a larger population

Question 11

what can isolate populations?

Answer 11

migration and geological events

Question 12

can the genetic makeup of a founder population differ from the original population?

Answer 12

yes

Question 13

migration/gene flow

Answer 13

the movement of individuals between populations causing an exchange of alleles between populations

Question 14

what does migration introduce and what does it lead to?

Answer 14

introduces new genes into populations and increases genetic variation

Question 15

what does continued migration between populations lead to?

Answer 15

reduces genetic diversity between populations overtime

Question 16

what is the raw material of evolution?

Answer 16

genetic variation

Question 17

what is fitness relative to?

Answer 17

specific environmental conditions

Question 18

how can fitness change?

Answer 18

as conditions change

Question 19

how can different phenotypes be selected for/against?

Answer 19

according to changes in the environment

Question 20

when can evolution of a population NOT occur?

Answer 20

if there is no genetic variation within the population

Question 21

null hypothesis

Answer 21

states experimental variables have no relationship and experimental observations are the result of chance

Question 22

alternative hypothesis

Answer 22

states that experimental variables have a relationship and the experimental observations are the result of some nonrandom cause