Population Genetics Quiz & Flashcards

Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium requires no mutations, as they can alter allele frequencies.

Genetic drift causes random changes in allele frequencies, particularly in small populations.

Gene flow increases genetic variation by introducing new alleles into a population.

A population bottleneck occurs when a drastic reduction in population size happens, often due to natural disasters.

Natural selection favors alleles that improve survival and reproduction, altering allele frequencies.

The founder effect occurs when a small group starts a new population, leading to reduced genetic diversity.

Disruptive selection favors extreme phenotypes, increasing variation by selecting against intermediate forms.

Genetic drift has a more significant impact on small populations due to random allele frequency changes.

Heterozygosity is important as it maintains genetic diversity, allowing populations to adapt to environmental changes.

A genetic bottleneck results in reduced genetic diversity due to the significant decrease in population size.

Mutation introduces new alleles, providing raw material for evolutionary processes.

Overdominance, or heterozygote advantage, refers to the higher fitness of heterozygous individuals.

Natural selection changes allele frequencies, disrupting genetic equilibrium.

Recombination increases genetic diversity by shuffling alleles during gamete formation.

Genetic hitchhiking increases allele frequency when linked to a beneficial allele.

Stabilizing selection favors intermediate phenotypes, reducing variation by selecting against extremes.

Inbreeding reduces genetic variation and increases the frequency of harmful alleles due to increased homozygosity.

Effective population size affects genetic drift and is crucial for understanding population genetic stability.

A population bottleneck often leads to reduced genetic diversity due to the significant reduction in population size.

Balancing selection maintains diversity by favoring multiple alleles, ensuring their persistence in the population.

Non-random mating violates the Hardy-Weinberg conditions, which require random mating to maintain equilibrium.

A cline is a gradual change in a trait or allele frequency across a geographical area.

Geographic isolation can lead to allopatric speciation by preventing gene flow and allowing divergence.

The Wahlund effect reduces heterozygosity in subdivided populations, leading to higher homozygosity.

Hybrid vigor, or heterosis, increases fitness by combining genetic material from different populations, enhancing diversity.

Directional selection shifts allele frequencies by favoring one extreme phenotype over others.

Genetic polymorphism is the occurrence of two or more alleles at a locus within a population.

The neutral theory of molecular evolution suggests most evolutionary changes result from genetic drift of neutral mutations.

Genetic rescue involves introducing new genetic material to increase diversity and fitness in a population.

Linkage disequilibrium occurs when alleles at different loci are associated more often than expected by chance.

Sexual selection increases genetic variation by favoring certain traits in mate selection, influencing allele frequencies.

Genetic load is the presence of disadvantageous alleles in a population's gene pool, affecting overall fitness.

The founder effect results in reduced genetic diversity due to the small size of the founding population.

Population structure can lead to varying allele frequencies due to limited gene flow between subpopulations.

A selective sweep reduces genetic variation by fixing a beneficial allele in the population.

Positive assortative mating increases homozygosity by individuals with similar phenotypes mating more often.

Mutations introduce new alleles, providing the raw material for evolutionary processes.

Negative assortative mating increases heterozygosity by promoting mating between individuals with different phenotypes.

Gene flow introduces new genetic material by allowing alleles from one population to enter another.

Genetic drift causes random changes in allele frequencies, which are more pronounced in small populations.

Balancing selection maintains multiple alleles in a population by favoring genetic diversity.

Genetic equilibrium implies no evolution is occurring, with allele frequencies remaining constant unless disturbed.

A large population size reduces the impact of genetic drift, maintaining genetic stability over time.

Natural disasters can lead to a genetic bottleneck by drastically reducing population size.

Genetic hitchhiking increases allele frequency when linked to a beneficial allele, spreading it through the population.

Overdominance, or heterozygote advantage, contributes to genetic variation by favoring heterozygous individuals.