How Populations Evolve

A collection of flashcards covering key vocabulary and concepts from the lecture on how populations evolve.

Population Genetics

The study of genetic variations within populations, focusing on allele frequencies.

Microevolution

Evolutionary changes within populations, characterized by changes in allele frequencies.

Gene Pool

The complete set of genetic information within a population.

Allele Frequency

The proportion of a specific allele among all allele copies in a population.

Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium

A principle stating that allele and genotype frequencies in a population will remain constant in the absence of evolutionary influences.

Genotype

The genetic constitution of an individual in terms of its alleles.

Phenotype

The observable characteristics or traits of an organism based on its genotype.

Natural Selection

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

Stabilizing Selection

A type of natural selection that favors intermediate variants and acts against extreme phenotypes.

Directional Selection

A type of natural selection that favors one extreme phenotype over others, shifting the overall makeup of the population.

Disruptive Selection

A type of natural selection that favors extreme phenotypes over intermediate phenotypes.

Gene Flow

The transfer of genetic variation from one population to another.

Genetic Drift

The change in allele frequencies in a population due to random sampling of organisms.

Bottleneck Effect

A sharp reduction in the size of a population due to environmental events or human activities, leading to decreased genetic diversity.

Founder Effect

The reduced genetic diversity that results when a population is descended from a small number of colonizing ancestors.

Nonrandom Mating

Mating that occurs more frequently between certain phenotypes than would be expected in a random mating scenario.

Heterozygote Advantage

When heterozygous genotypes confer a selective advantage over homozygous genotypes.

Sexual Selection

A form of natural selection where individuals with certain traits are more likely to obtain mates.

Adaptive Radiation

The rapid evolution of diversely adapted species from a common ancestor.

Heterozygote

An individual with two different alleles for a specific gene.