Gene Flow and Evolution

Flashcards created to aid in understanding key concepts about gene flow, evolution, and their implications in population genetics.

What are the two alleles mentioned in the populations scenario and their adaptive significance?

A1 is adaptive in population 1, while A2 is adaptive in population 2.

What is the effect of high migration and low selection coefficient on allele frequencies in populations?

The allele frequencies of A1 and A2 are likely to remain similar due to high gene flow and low selection pressure.

What is gene flow?

Gene flow is the physical movement of alleles into or out of a population by immigration or emigration.

How does gene flow affect genetic diversity among populations?

Gene flow tends to eliminate genetic differences and equalize allele frequencies among populations, increasing overall genetic diversity.

What is the migration rate (m) in population genetics?

Migration rate (m) is the fraction of individuals in a population that arrive from another population per generation.

How is change in allele frequency represented mathematically?

Change in allele frequency is given by the equation: Δp = m(pm - p), where pm is the allele frequency in the immigrants and p is the original frequency.

What does FST measure in population genetics?

FST measures genetic distance, indicating the degree of genetic differentiation among populations.

What occurs when gene flow overwhelms local adaptations?

Gene swamping happens when gene flow is much higher than local selection (s << m), making local adaptations less likely.

Define speciation in the context of long-term isolation due to low dispersal.

Speciation occurs when populations become so diverged due to low dispersal over time that they evolve into distinct species.

What is the consequence of low dispersal in the Florida panther population?

Low dispersal has led to higher acrosomal defects and reduced survival rates among pure Florida panthers due to inbreeding.