Genetic Drift and Gene Flow Review

Flashcards to help review key concepts related to genetic drift and gene flow.

Gene Flow

The transfer of genetic variation from one population to another.

Genetic Drift

A mechanism of evolution that refers to random changes in allele frequencies in a population.

Founder Effect

Genetic drift that occurs when a small number of individuals from a larger population establish a new population.

Population Bottleneck

A sharp reduction in the size of a population due to environmental events or human activities.

Heterozygosity

The presence of different alleles at one or more loci on homologous chromosomes.

Effective Population Size (Ne)

The number of individuals in a population who contribute offspring to the next generation.

Inbreeding Depression

Reduced biological fitness in a population due to inbreeding.

Natural Selection

The process whereby organisms better adapted to their environment tend to survive and produce more offspring.

Adaptive Evolution

A process whereby a population becomes better suited to its environment through natural selection.

Non-adaptive Evolution

Changes in the genetic structure of a population that do not lead to increased adaptation or fitness.