Variation in Populations and Natural Selection

These flashcards cover key vocabulary terms and concepts related to variation in populations, genetic drift, natural selection, and evolutionary processes.

Genetic Drift

Change in the frequency of a gene variant from one generation to the next due to random effects, not related to fitness.

Natural Selection

The process by which individuals with advantageous traits produce more offspring, thereby increasing those traits in the population.

Gene Flow

The transfer of alleles from one population to another through the movement of fertile individuals or gametes.

Allele Frequency

The relative frequency of an allele in a population, expressed as a proportion or percentage of total alleles.

Bottleneck Effect

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

Founder Effect

The loss of genetic diversity that occurs when a small number of individuals from a larger population establish a new population.

Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium

A principle that describes a population that is not evolving, where allele frequencies remain constant from generation to generation.

Phenotypic Variation

The observable differences in the traits of individuals within a population, resulting from genetic variation.