Mechanisms of Evolution

Front

What is the bottleneck effect in evolution?

Back

The bottleneck effect is a sharp reduction in the size of a population due to environmental events or human activities, leading to a loss of genetic diversity.

Front

Give an example of the bottleneck effect.

Back

An example of the bottleneck effect is when Bald Eagles were hunted to near extinction, resulting in a reduced population that later recovered.

Front

What is genetic drift?

Back

Genetic drift is the change in the allele frequency of a population due to random chance events.

Front

How does genetic drift differ from natural selection?

Back

Genetic drift is driven by random chance, while natural selection is a process where individuals with advantageous traits are more likely to survive and reproduce.

Front

What role does natural selection play in introducing new alleles into a population?

Back

Natural selection does not introduce new alleles; it acts on existing alleles by favoring those that confer a survival advantage.

Front

What is gene flow in the context of evolution?

Back

Gene flow is the transfer of genetic material between populations, which can introduce new alleles into a population's gene pool.

Front

How can gene flow affect genetic diversity?

Back

Gene flow can increase genetic diversity by introducing new alleles from other populations.

Front

What is the significance of allele frequency in a population?

Back

Allele frequency refers to how common an allele is in a population, and changes in allele frequency can indicate evolutionary processes.

Front

What factors can lead to changes in allele frequency?

Back

Factors that can lead to changes in allele frequency include genetic drift, natural selection, mutation, and gene flow.

Front

What is the difference between a population bottleneck and a founder effect?

Back

A population bottleneck occurs when a large population is drastically reduced, while a founder effect occurs when a small group establishes a new population.