ANT101H5 Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: Genetic Drift, Population Genetics, Gene Flow
Document Summary
Definition of modern synthetic theory: coming together of mendelian genetics and the ideas of natural selection by darwin and beginnings of population genetics. Human diversity seen as the result of microevolutionary forces small changes in allele frequencies acting on the human gene pool. Appearance of new species due to many generational changes in allele frequencies. Copying mistakes during cell division leading to new alleles through gene alteration. Chance fluctuations of the allele frequency in the gene pool of a population. Significant in small populations; often natural disasters or catastrophic events. Bottleneck (large decrease in population due to an event) or founder (a few individuals found a new population) effect. Introduction of new genes from another population ex. migration. Process by which organisms achieve a beneficial adjustment to an available environment. Dictated by the environment we adapt to suit the environment. A single ancestral species gives rise to 2 or more descendant species.
