Population genetics

Both genetic variation and

environmental factors are causes
of evolution and diversity of
organisms
Vocabulary
Gene pool
Relative frequency
Single-gene trait
Polygenic trait
Genetic drift
Genetic
equilibrium
Founder effect
Evidence for evolution
Homologous body Vestigial organs:
structures: Organs that are
What similarities in vestiges (traces) of
the limbs suggest organs.
they developed Legs, tails or
from the same organs such as the
basic structure? appendix.
How is the form of
each limb adapted
for a specific type
of movement?
Summary of Darwin’s theory
Individual organisms differ and some
variation is inheritable.
Organisms produce more offspring
than can survive, and many that do
survive do not reproduce.
Competition for limited resources
Survival of the fittest (adaptation)
Diverse species evolved from
common ancestors.
What is genetic variation?

Genetic variation: many genes have

two forms, or alleles. An individual
can also be heterozygous for a gene.
This creates a large amount of
variation.
The gene for ABO blood type has 3
major alleles; How many ABO
genotypes are available?
Gene pools
Within a population, individuals breed,
they share a common group of
genes.
The relative frequency of an allele is
the number of times that the allele
occurs in a gene pool.
See Figure 16-2: frequency of alleles
in the mouse population.
What happens to the relative freq. of
the b allele if the B allele decreases?
Sources of genetic variation

Mutations
Gene shuffling: Independent
assortment during meiosis.
* The 23 pairs of chromosomes found
in humans can produce 8.4 million
different combinations of genes.
Reshuffling of genes

Sexual reproduction can produce

many different phenotypes
The relative frequency of alleles does
not change.
Like a deck of cards: shuffling
rearranges the alleles, but the
number of alleles remains the same.
Single gene and polygenic traits
Single gene trait: Polygenic trait:
either dominant or two or more genes
recessive. that control a trait.
-Widow’s peak, This leads to many
tongue roll, possible genotypes
attached earlobes. and phenotypes.
-represented by a - Human height
bar graph. - normal
distribution is a bell
shaped curve
Natural selection acts on phenotype

Genes are never directly acted upon

during natural selection, why?
Evolution is any change over time in
the relative frequencies of alleles in a
population.
Populations evolve, not single
organisms.
See figure 16-5; effect of color
mutations on lizard survival.
Review

Explain whether fur color in the mice

shown in figure 16-2 is a single-gene
or polygenic trait.
Draw two graphs: one to show the
frequency of height in our class and
another to show tongue rolling.
Explain why they are different.
Three distributions of phenotypes
as a result of natural selection
Directional selection: occurs when
one species has a higher fitness than
individuals in the middle or end
Stabilizing selection: individuals near
the center of the curve have higher
fitness.
Disruptive selection: individuals at the
upper and lower ends of the curve
have higher fitness than the middle.
Genetic Drift
In a small population an allele can
become more or less common simply
by chance, rather than because it has
a positive or negative effect on
fitness.
Over time, a series of chance
occurrences of this type can lead to
an allele becoming more common in
a population.
Founder Effect
Situation in which allele frequencies
change as a result of the migration of small
subgroups of a population.
Pitcaim Island in the South Pacific- limited
genetic variability because it was founded
by a small group of pirates in the late
1700’s.
Population is geographically isolated, few
new genes entered the gene pool creating
less genetic variation.
Hardy-Weinberg & genetic
equilibrium
Hardy-Weinberg principle states that
allele frequencies in a population will
remain constant unless one or more
factors causes those frequencies to
change.
Constant allele frequency is genetic
equilibrium
If the allele frequency does not
change, evolution does not occur.
Five conditions are required for
genetic equilibrium
1. There must be random mating
2. The population must be very large
3. There can be no movement in or out
of the population
4. No mutations
5. No natural selection
Hardy-Weinberg equation

Dominant allele is represented as p

recessive allele is represented as q
The sum of allele frequencies must
always equal the total population
(100%)
p+q=1

P2 + 2pq +q2 =1
Speciation: formation of new
species
As new species evolve populations
become reproductively isolated from each
other.
When two populations cannot interbreed
reproductive isolation has occurred.
When two populations are able to mate,
but courtship rituals are different,
behavioral isolation has occurred.
Isolating mechanisms

Geographic isolation occurs when two

species are separated by geographic
barriers.
Temporal isolation occurs when
reproduction occurs at different times.