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Evolution of Populations exam Flashcards

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Evolution of Populations exam
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  • Macroevolution
    Large-scale evolutionary changes that occur over long periods of time.
  • What is microevolution?
    Small, rapid evolutionary changes within a population.
  • Natural Selection
    A mechanism of evolution where certain alleles enhance reproductive success.
  • What is genetic drift?
    Random changes in allele frequency within a population.
  • Gene Flow
    Movement of alleles between populations.
  • What is the modern synthesis?
    Integration of Darwinian evolution and Mendelian genetics.
  • Population Genetics
    Study of processes that affect genes at the population level.
  • What is an allele?
    A variant form of a gene.
  • Mutation
    A change in DNA that introduces new alleles into a population.
  • What does natural selection depend on?
    The reproductive success of certain alleles.
  • Genetic Variation
    Diversity in gene frequencies within a population.
  • What is the focus of microevolution?
    Small changes in allele frequencies over short periods.
  • How does gene flow affect populations?
    It changes allele frequencies by introducing new alleles.
  • What is the significance of the modern synthesis?
    It combined Darwin's and Mendel's theories to explain evolutionary processes.
  • What is the role of mutation in evolution?
    It introduces new genetic variations into a population.
  • How does genetic drift differ from natural selection?
    Genetic drift is random, while natural selection is based on reproductive success.
  • What is the importance of genetic variation?
    It is crucial for the process of evolution.
  • What is the outcome of gene flow?
    It can lead to changes in allele frequencies in a population.
  • How do new alleles become common in a population?
    Through mechanisms like natural selection, genetic drift, and gene flow.
  • What is the primary focus of population genetics?
    Understanding how genes and alleles change within populations.
  • What is the relationship between survival and reproduction in natural selection?
    Survival increases the chance of reproduction, passing on advantageous alleles.
  • How does genetic drift occur?
    Through random events that affect allele frequencies.
  • What is the significance of allele frequency in evolution?
    Changes in allele frequency indicate evolutionary changes in a population.
  • What is the role of natural selection in evolution?
    It increases the frequency of beneficial alleles in a population.
  • How does mutation contribute to genetic variation?
    By introducing new alleles into the gene pool.
  • What is the effect of gene flow on genetic diversity?
    It can increase genetic diversity by introducing new alleles.
  • What is the main difference between macroevolution and microevolution?
    Macroevolution involves large changes over long periods, while microevolution involves small changes over short periods.
  • How do evolutionary mechanisms affect allele frequencies?
    They can increase or decrease the frequency of specific alleles in a population.
  • What is the significance of the early 1900s in evolutionary biology?
    The modern synthesis, combining Darwinian evolution and Mendelian genetics, was developed.