What is Microevolution?
Microevolution refers to the change in allele frequencies that occur over time within a population.
What is Evolution?
Evolution is a change in the inherited characteristics of biological populations over successive generations.
What does Allele frequency mean?
Allele frequency is the relative frequency of an allele at a genetic locus in a population.
What is a Mutation?
A mutation is a change in the DNA sequence that can lead to new genetic variations.
What is Natural selection?
Natural selection is the process by which certain traits increase in frequency due to providing a reproductive advantage.
What is Artificial selection?
Artificial selection is the intentional reproduction of individuals in a population that have desirable traits.
What is Gene flow?
Gene flow is the transfer of genetic material between populations through migration.
What does Genetic drift mean?
Genetic drift refers to random changes in allele frequencies that occur in small populations.
What is the Bottleneck effect?
The Bottleneck effect is a sharp reduction in the size of a population due to environmental events, leading to reduced genetic diversity.
What is the Founder effect?
The Founder effect is the loss of genetic variation that occurs when a small number of individuals establish a new population.
What is Genetic diversity?
Genetic diversity is the total number of genetic characteristics in the genetic makeup of a species.
What does Fixed gene refer to?
A fixed gene is one for which there is only one allele left in a population.
What is Phenotype?
Phenotype refers to the observable physical or biochemical characteristics of an organism, determined by both genetic makeup and environmental influences.
What is Directional selection?
Directional selection is natural selection that favors one extreme phenotype over the mean or other extreme phenotypes.
What is Disruptive selection?
Disruptive selection is natural selection that favors individuals at both extremes of the phenotypic range.
What is Stabilizing selection?
Stabilizing selection is natural selection that favors intermediate variants by acting against extreme phenotypes.
What is Sexual selection?
Sexual selection is a form of natural selection in which individuals with certain inherited characteristics are more likely than others to obtain mates.
What is Intrasexual selection?
Intrasexual selection is a form of sexual selection in which individuals of one sex compete directly for mates of the opposite sex.
What is Intersexual selection?
Intersexual selection is a form of sexual selection where individuals of one sex are choosy in selecting their mates.
What does Relative fitness mean?
Relative fitness is the relative contribution an individual makes to the gene pool of the next generation, compared to others.
What is Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium?
Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium is the condition under which a population's allele frequencies remain constant from generation to generation.
What is Genetic isolation?
Genetic isolation is a situation in which genetic exchange does not occur between populations.
What does Diploidy mean?
Diploidy is the state of having two sets of chromosomes, which allows for the presence of recessive alleles.
What is Balancing selection?
Balancing selection is natural selection that maintains two or more phenotypic forms in a population.
What is Heterozygote advantage?
Heterozygote advantage is a situation where heterozygous individuals have a higher fitness than homozygous individuals.
What does Frequency-dependent selection mean?
Frequency-dependent selection occurs when the fitness of a phenotype is influenced by its frequency in the population.
What is Balanced polymorphism?
Balanced polymorphism refers to the maintenance of two or more distinct phenotypes in a population.
What is Environmental adaptation?
Environmental adaptation is the process through which a species becomes better suited to its habitat.
What is Genetic variation?
Genetic variation is diversity in gene frequencies within a population.
What does Allelic drift refer to?
Allelic drift is the change in allele frequency in a population due to chance events.
What does Survival of the fittest mean?
Survival of the fittest is a phrase that explains natural selection, suggesting that individuals best adapted to their environment are more likely to survive.
What is Nonrandom mating?
Nonrandom mating occurs when mating is based on specific traits or characteristics rather than randomly.
What are Mating strategies?
Mating strategies are the behavioral adaptations that individuals develop to increase their chances of mating.
What are Fertility rates?
Fertility rates are the average number of children born to a woman in her lifetime.
What is Phenotypic variation?
Phenotypic variation is the variability in phenotypes that exists in a population.
What does Selection pressure mean?
Selection pressure is an environmental factor that affects an organism's ability to survive in a given environment.
What are Adaptive traits?
Adaptive traits are characteristics that improve an individual's chances of survival and reproduction.
What is Population genetics?
Population genetics is the study of genetic variation within populations and involves the examination of the genetic composition.
What is Ecosystem stability?
Ecosystem stability is the ability of an ecosystem to maintain its structure and function over time.
What are Microevolutionary processes?
Microevolutionary processes are the small-scale changes in allele frequencies within populations.
What is Reproductive isolation?
Reproductive isolation is a set of conditions that prevents different species from interbreeding.
What is a Gene pool?
A gene pool is the total collection of genes and their alleles in a population.
What is Hybrid vigor?
Hybrid vigor is the improved biological quality of hybrid offspring.
What does Allele segregation mean?
Allele segregation refers to the separation of allele pairs during gamete formation.
What are Environmental constraints?
Environmental constraints are limitations imposed by the environment that affect species and populations.
What are the main principles of Natural Selection?
The main principles of Natural Selection are variation, competition, survival, and reproduction, where individuals with advantageous traits are more likely to survive and reproduce.
What is the first condition of Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium?
The first condition is that there must be no mutations occurring in the population.
What is the second condition of Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium?
The second condition is that there must be no gene flow between populations.
What is the third condition of Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium?
The third condition is that the population must be very large to prevent genetic drift.
What is the fourth condition of Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium?
The fourth condition is that mating must be random, with no preferences for certain traits.
What is the fifth condition of Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium?
The fifth condition is that there must be no selection occurring, meaning all individuals must have equal chances of survival and reproduction.
What role does genetic variation play in Natural Selection?
Genetic variation provides the raw material for natural selection to work upon, allowing better adaptations to evolve in populations.
How does environmental change affect Natural Selection?
Environmental change can shift the selective pressures on a population, favoring different traits and potentially leading to evolution.
What is the significance of Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium in population biology?
Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium serves as a model to determine if a population is evolving and analyzing the forces that may cause evolution.
How can natural selection lead to speciation?
Natural selection can lead to speciation by favoring different traits in populations that become isolated, resulting in distinct evolutionary paths.