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Why Is Genetic Drift Relevant In Small Populations

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1. Imagine that a professor tells you that genetic drift is only relevant in small populations. Discuss one way in which this statement is wrong, and also one way in which is it at least partially correct. Make a convincing case for why the professor’s view needs to be amended. Genetic drift can occur in both large and small populations. However, it is much more noticeable in small populations. It takes a great deal of time for the effects of genetic drift to be noticeable in a larger population as there is a much larger gene pool present (Masatoshi & Fumio, 1981). The statement made by the professor, that genetic drift is only relevant in small populations is not entirely correct. Genetic drift can occur in large populations but is much less noticeable than in a smaller population with a …show more content…

For example, they are traits that set the genders apart such as color, shape, and size and are the result of their inheritance. The handicap principle basically says that females prefer certain traits in their male counterparts. The handicap principle, in the case of sexual dimorphism, says that animals with these dimorphic traits may be most fit to reproduce and signal other individuals in their population, but the specialization of traits comes at great cost. You could determine if the handicap principle is able to explain a sexually dimorphic trait if male/females are more drawn to certain distinct characteristics in the opposite sex (Schaefer, et al., 2012). You could do an observation study in which you view two different populations of species and make note of their mating habits. Conclusions from this observation could lead to inferences about sexual dimorphism and whether or not it is due to the handicap principle. Correlations in mating (i.e., mating habits with individuals who have certain distinct sexual traits) can be made from an observational

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For instance, forks accounted for 33% of the population while spoons accounted for 67% of the population---knives were once again extinct by the second generation (Table 2A). In the third generation, spoons accounted for 100% of the population (Table 2A). As for prey in the grass habitat, in the second generation, black beans accounted for 16.58% of the population while, green beans accounted for 27.69%, white beans accounted for 29.35% and pinto beans accounted for 26.37% of the population (Table 2B). In figures 4A and 4B, it is easier to note the changes in percent population since the three generations and the final percent of population (after the three generation) are

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The results of the male mating success calculations however, were consistent with the prediction that selection would occur against white-eyed males in the light condition, but not in the dark condition. Results of viability calculations, white allele frequency over time, variance over time, and heterozygosity over time, were all inconsistent with predictions made. There was no statistically significant difference found between the viability of white and red flies in either lighting conditions, a result that was expected for the light condition but not for the dark condition, where selection was expected to occur against the white allele and decrease viability compared to wild-type males. The average allele frequencies behaved as predicted for the light treatment populations, showing a decrease in white allele frequency, most likely due to selection against the allele. The small/dark population also behaved as predicted, showing an increase in allele frequency, but the large/dark population showed an average decrease in allele frequency.

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The purpose of this experiment was to conduct a long-term population genetics study by observing five generations of Drosophila melanogaster to determine the allele frequencies of eye color. Population genetics is the study of distribution and change in allele frequency in a population (). This makes population genetics important to the study of evolutionary biology as it examines adaptations, speciation, and the population structure of a population under study (). Two important processes of population genetics that will be examined in this experiment are natural selection and genetic drift, both that are important to evolution ().

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The mouse population during the first few generations increased along with the owls increasing. 2.) After many more generations, the mouse population drastically decreased and the owls followed with the mice and decreased as well. 3.) The trends in the populations’ size of the mice and owls went along with one another.

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In this natural selection and genetics lab, a pair of alleles was randomly chosen from a cup of 100 alleles. There were 50 dominant and 50 recessive alleles. A pair of alleles was chosen randomly from the cup. The first time this was done all the organisms survived. The second time this was done the organisms that were homozygous recessive died due to the lack of an enzyme needed to digest grain.

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Ultimately, this theory proposes that hormone levels have a significant affect on the mindset and sexual tendencies of a

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Meanwhile, the spoon population increased from one to five after round one, reproducing the most of all phenotypes. In the following generations, the spoon population showed signs of eventually taking over the population due to taking up at the most 71.4% of the plastica population twice as seen in Table and Graph 2. The initial hypothesis that the spoon phenotype would take over through generations of natural selection was accepted due to the spoon phenotype taking over 50% of the population following round one and steadily growing, meanwhile other phenotypes slowly died out. Similar results appeared in another study regarding the evolution of phenotypes. The University of Michigan conducted an experiment evaluating tadpole phenotypes with and without predators

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Sexual selection in most animal species predicts that males are far less picky with their choice of mates than females. Although males are though to not have much of a preference to females it all depends on the resources given. When males are depleted of resources there was a significant increase in the male fruit flies mating with females that are larger. Larger fruit flies produce more eggs than smaller female fruit flies. The male fruit flies noticed that producing sperm was expensive and that there would be a higher fitness advantage.

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However, genetic drift can act faster in small populations. Both natural selection and genetic drift can occur

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Both sexual selection and sexual dimorphism explain the reason for an organism’s certain physical appearance or their certain behavioral traits. Due to sexual selection, we see the presence of such specific traits among the members of one sex and exactly how they appear to be attractive to the other (Ayala, 2016). Charles Darwin even states himself, “We are, however, here concerned only with that kind of selection, which I have called sexual selection. This depends on the advantage which certain individuals have over other individuals of the same sex and species, in exclusive relation to reproduction” (Jones & Ratterman, 2009). These advantages can range from every species alive, from even the smallest vinegar fly to a

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The criteria for mate choice can be initially given by humans and will certainly be different from humans’ criteria in sexual selection.

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Migrating individuals go to interbreed with a new population and contribute a significant amount of their genes to that gene pool. As a result, the similarity of the migrating individuals’ population and the population they interbred with increases because of gene flow. The most important mechanism of evolutionary change is natural selection. The better adapted individuals are more likely to pass on their genes more efficiently than the less fit individuals. Over time, the offspring become better adapted to their environment.

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The population must be large so that no genetic drift (random chance) can cause the allele frequencies to change. 5. No selection can occur so that certain alleles are not selected

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Population evolution can occur by genetic drift; this is a change in the gene pool of a small population due to change. Gene flow is also a cause of population evolution, this happens when a population loses or gains alleles by gene flow. Natural selection also causes population evolution, this promotes evolutionary adaption. The general outcomes of natural selection are directional selection, disruptive selection, and, stabilizing selection. Population evolution can also occur by sexual selection.

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(1994). Some neo-Darwinian decision rules for altruism: Weighing cues for inclusive fitness as a function of biological importance of the decision. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 67 (5), 773-789. Buss, D. M., Larsen, R. J., Westen, D., & Semmelroth, J. (1992). Sex differences in jealousy: Evolution, physiology and psychology.

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