Evolution

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What is the founder effect?

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The founder effect is a phenomenon that occurs when a small group of individuals becomes isolated from a larger population, leading to a reduced genetic diversity in the new population.

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What is a homologous trait?

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A homologous trait is a characteristic shared by different species that have a common ancestor, indicating evolutionary relationships.

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What is stabilizing selection?

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Stabilizing selection is a type of natural selection that favors average individuals in a population, reducing variation and maintaining the status quo.

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How can cytochrome C proteins be used in evolutionary studies?

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Cytochrome C proteins can be compared among different organisms to determine evolutionary relationships, with more differences indicating more distant relationships.

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What is non-random mating?

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Non-random mating is a mechanism of evolution where individuals select mates based on specific traits, affecting the genetic structure of the population.

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What is natural selection?

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Natural selection is the process by which organisms better adapted to their environment tend to survive and produce more offspring.

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What is gene flow?

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Gene flow is the transfer of genetic material between populations, which can increase genetic diversity and reduce differences between populations.

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What is an analogous trait?

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An analogous trait is a characteristic that appears similar in different species but does not arise from a common ancestor, often due to convergent evolution.

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What is the significance of genetic drift?

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Genetic drift is a mechanism of evolution that causes random changes in allele frequencies in a population, particularly in small populations.

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What is adaptive radiation?

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Adaptive radiation is the process by which a single ancestral species rapidly diversifies into a wide variety of forms to adapt to different environments.