Allele frequencies
rates of occurrence of alleles in populations
Fixed
when a population exhibits only one allele at a particular gene
Fitness
a measure of the extent to which the individual's genotype is represented in the next generation
Heritability
in the population, the proportion of the total variation in a trait that is due to genetic differences among individuals
Stabilizing selection
maintains the status quo and acts against extremes
Directional selection
leads to a change in a trait over time, favors one extreme of a trait
Disruptive selection
operates in favor of extremes and against intermediate forms, selecting against the mean
Gene pool
all the alleles present in all individuals in a population or species
Gene flow
homogenized allele frequencies between two populations
Assumptions of HW
1: No differences in the survival and reproductive success of individuals 2: No migration 3: No mutations 4: Must be sufficiently large population size 5: Must be random mating
Variation
Mutation generates new variation; Recombination followed by segregation of homologous chromosomes during meiotic cell division shuffles mutations to create new combinations
Random mating
mate choice must be made without regard to genotype
Inbreeding
mating occurs between close relatives; Increases frequency of homozygote and decreases the # of heterozygotes without affecting allele frequencies
Inbreeding depression
a reduction in the child's fitness caused by homozygosity of deleterious recessive mutations
Genetic drift
a change in the frequency of an allele due to the random effects of limited population size
Migration
reduces genetic variation between populations; \n Results in gene flow: the movement of alleles from one population to another
Mutation
increases genetic variation
Founder effect
a type of bottleneck that occurs when only a few individuals establish a new population
Non-random mating
individuals mate based on genotype; alters genotype frequencies without affecting allele frequencies
Kin selection
a form of natural selection that favors the spread of alleles that promote behaviors that help close relatives, or kin
Altruism
behavior that benefits another individual at a cost to the altruist's personal fitness (ability to produce offspring)
Reciprocal altruism
individuals exchange favors; Individuals must be able to recognize one another and remember previous interactions
Direct fitness
the number of offspring an individual produces
Indirect fitness
the number of relatives produced multiplied by the degree of relatedness to those individuals
Sexual selection
promotes traits that increase an individual's access to reproductive opportunities
Natural selection
a process in which individuals that have certain inherited traits tend to survive and reproduce at higher rates than other individuals because of those traits
Sexual selection
A form of selection in which individuals with certain inherited characteristics are more likely than other individuals to obtain mates; often powerful enough to produce features that are harmful to the individual's survival
Hamilton's Rule
Being related to individuals and how this impacts your fitness; \n rB > C; As long as rB exceeds C, altruism can evolve
Adaptive traits
a genetic trait that helps an organism to maximize its reproductive success; enhance individual survival and reproduction of individuals in a population
Non-adaptive trait
not affected by fitness
Biological species concept
species is a group of actually or potentially interbreeding populations whose members can produce viable, fertile offspring and that are reproductively isolated from other species
Morphospecies concept
the idea that members of the same species usually look like each other more than like other species; Relies on phenotype and morphology
Ecological species concept
concept that there is a one-to-one correspondence between a species and its niche
Phylogenetic species concept
concept that members of a species all share a common ancestry and a common fate
Speciation
the development of reproductive isolation between populations
genetic divergence
Low hybridization rate between 2 species; Low gene flow; Nonrandom mating
Allopatric speciation
results from the geographical separation of populations
allopatric populations
populations that are geographically separated from each other
Dispersal
the process in which some individuals colonize a distant place far from the main source population
Peripatric speciation
specific kind of allopatric speciation in which a few individuals from a mainland population disperse to a new location remote from the original population and evolve separately
Vicariance
process in which a geographic barrier arises within a single population, separating it into two or more isolated populations
Co-speciation
a process in which two groups of organisms speciate in response to each other and at the same time, producing matching phylogenies
Sympatric speciation
takes place in single geographic area; Gene flow may be prevented by polyploidy or by habitat specialization
Instantaneous speciation
caused by hybridization between two species in which the offspring are reproductively isolated from both parents
Species
group of individuals that can exchange genetic material through interbreeding to produce fertile offspring
Population
a group of individuals of the same species living in the same place at the same time that can interbreed
Molecular clock
correlation between the time two species have been evolutionarily separated and the amount of genetic divergence between them
Pre-zygotic isolating factors
prevent fertilization from taking place
Post-zygotic factors
occur after fertilization; factors that cause the failure of the fertilized egg to develop into a fertile individual.
Reinforcement
process by which diverging populations undergo natural selection in favor of traits that enhance pre-zygotic isolation, thereby preventing the production of less fit hybrid offspring; Selection against individuals who have hybrid offspring
Phylogenies
are hypotheses because they represent the best model, or explanation, of the relatedness of organisms based on all the existing data
Homologous
characters that are similar because of descent from a common ancestor
Analogous
similarities due to independent adaption by difference species; Result of convergent evolution
Parsimony
assumption that the fewest evolutionary steps is the most likely explanation
Convergent evolution
process whereby organisms not closely related (not monophyletic) independently evolve similar traits as a result of having to adapt to similar environments or ecological niches
Synapomorphy
a shared derived character
Homoplasy
a character shared by a set of species but not present in their common ancestor
Node
the point where a branch splits, representing the common ancestor from which the descendant species diverge
Sister taxa/ groups
groups that are more closely related to each other than either of them is to any other group
Monophyletic group
all members share a single common ancestor not shared with any other species or group of species
Paraphyletic group
groupings that include some, but not all, the descendants of a common ancestor
Phylogenetic tree
a diagrammed hypothesis about the evolutionary history, or phylogeny, of a species
Cancer
cell growth disorder resulting from an alteration in genes (mutations) that lead to unregulated cell growth
Proto-oncogene
can cause cancer only when mutated.
Tumor suppressor
genes that encode proteins whose normal activities inhibit cell division
Rb protein
a transcriptional repressor that inhibits the transcription activator E2F
Germline mutation
a mutation that occurs in a reproductive cell or a cell that develops into the reproductive cell and are therefore passed on to the next generation
Germ cells
reproductive cells that produce sperm or eggs and the cells that give rise to them
Gamete
a mature haploid male or female germ cell that is able to unite with another of the opposite sex in sexual reproduction to form a zygote
Somatic mutation
occurs in somatic cells and only affect the individual in which they occur and are not transmitted to offspring
Somatic cell
a non-reproductive cell
The Law of Segregation
Individuals inherit two copies of each gene, one from the mother and one from the father, and when the individual forms reproductive cells, the two copies separate equally; One parent transmits one member of a pair to an offspring; therefore they segregate; A progeny gets one factor from its mom and one from its father and thus a pair of factors
The Law of Independent Assortment
Segregation of one set of alleles of a gene pair is independent of the segregation of another set of alleles of a different gene pair
Allele
different forms of a gene, corresponding to different DNA sequences in each different form
Genotype
the genetic makeup of a cell or organism; the particular combination of alleles present (AA, Aa, aa, etc)
Phenotype
observable traits or characteristics (tall, short, round)
Product rule
The principle that the probability of two independent events occurring together is the product of their respective probabilities; Outcomes can occur simultaneously (and)
Sum rule
The principle that the probability of either of two mutually exclusive outcomes occurring is given by the sum of their individual probabilities; Outcomes being considered cannot occur simultaneously (or)
Incomplete dominance
phenotype of the heterozygous genotype is intermediate between homozygous parents; Neither allele is dominant or recessive to the other, intermediate is created
Co-dominance
phenotypes of both alleles are observed in the heterozygotes; Both characteristics shown at the same time, not an intermediate
Epistasis
one gene interferes with or masks another gene
homologous recombination
Homologous chromosomes replicate, then pair; Allows any pair of parental genomes to form infinite # of recombinant gametes, depending on where crossover occurs along the chromosomes
Linked
genes that are sufficiently close together in the same chromosome that they do not assort independently
Recombination
the exchange of genes between chromosomes, resulting in a different genetic combination and ultimately the formation of unique gametes with chromosomes that are different from those in parents
Recombinants
An offspring with a different combination of alleles from that of either parent, resulting from one or more crossovers in prophase I of meiosis; There will always be more parental than recombinants
Recombination frequency
(# of recombinants/ total # of progeny) \n Depends on the distance between the genes; The closer genes are along the chromosome, the less likely it is that a crossover will take place in the interval between them (father apart genes = higher recombination frequency)
Meiosis
Happens in germ cells; Generates unique gametes; Diploid cells make haploid cells, which become diploid again after sexual reproduction
Meiosis I
Chromosome duplication; Chromosomes align with homologous chromosomes facing opposite poles: Homologous chromosomes separate move to opposite poles
Chromosome duplication
DNA is replicated in S phase and the chromosome duplicates; is now comprised of sister chromatids; Each chromosome has 2 chromatids
Meiosis II
Chromosomes align with sister chromatids facing opposite poles; Sister chromatids separate and move to opposite poles
Independent assortment of genes on different chromosomes
results from the mechanics of meiosis, in which different pairs of homologous chromosomes align randomly on the metaphase plate in meiosis I. For some pairs of chromosomes, the maternal chromosome goes toward one pole during anaphase I, and the paternal chromosome goes to the other pole, but for other pairs, just the opposite occurs. Because the alignment is random, gene pairs on different chromosomes assort independently of one another
Non- disjunction
the failure of a pair of chromosomes to separate normally during anaphase of cell division; One daughter cell receives extra copy of chromosome while other receives no copy; Violates principle of segregation
Restriction enzymes
cleave double-stranded DNA at specific sequences known as restriction sites; useful in DNA fingerprinting because DNA from different individuals can differ in the distance between adjacent restriction sites or in the presence or absence of a particular restriction site at some location in the genome
Background extinction
the standard rate of extinction in earth's geological and biological history before humans became a primary contributor to extinctions.
Latitudinal diversity gradient
higher species diversity at the equator; Higher productivity = more things can be supported in higher trophic levels
biotic interactions
Interactions among organisms
abiotic interactions
Interactions between organism and their non-living environments
Population
group of individuals of the same species that live interact and interbreed in a particular area at the same time
Community
assemblage of interacting populations of different species in a particular area
Ecosystem
a community of organisms and the physical environment it occupies