Evolution Chapter 6: Genetic Drift and Population Dynamics

These flashcards cover key vocabulary terms related to genetic drift and population dynamics in evolutionary biology.

Genetic Drift

Random change in allele frequencies in a population over time.

Genetic Load

The frequency of deleterious alleles that have accumulated in a population.

Genetic Bottleneck

The phenomenon in which a population lineage shrinks to a small size for a period, causing that population to lose genetic variation.

Fixation

The process by which an allele’s frequency reaches 100% in a population.

Directional Selection

A form of selection that drives the allele frequency in one direction, removing genetic variation.

Population Size

The number of individuals in a population, influencing the rate and outcome of genetic drift.

Allelic Variation

Differences in alleles across individuals in a population.

Neutral Alleles

Alleles that have no selective advantage or disadvantage affecting their frequency.

Chance Sampling

Random selection of individuals in a population that influences allele frequencies across generations.

Polymorphic Locus

A genetic locus with two or more alleles present in a population.