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Mutation, Gene Flow, and Genetic Drift

Mutation, Gene Flow, and Genetic Drift

In a population that is not at Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, the frequency of alleles changes over time. Therefore, any deviations from the five conditions of Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium can alter the genetic variation of a given population. Conditions that change the genetic variability of a population include mutations, natural selection, non-random mating, gene flow, and genetic drift (small population size).

Gene Flow

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Gene flow is the transfer of genes among populations, resulting from either the dispersal of gametes or from the migration of individuals.

Genetic Variation

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Genetic variation is the diversity in DNA sequences found among individuals of the same species. This diversity is crucial for a species' survival because it helps organisms adapt to environmental changes. Genetic variation begins with fertilization, where an egg and sperm cell merge. Each of these cells carries 23 chromosomes, up to 46 in the fertilized egg. Chromosomes are long DNA strands that contain genes, the basic units of heredity.
Genes exist in different versions called alleles, which...

Genetic Drift

Genetic Drift

Natural selection—probably the most well-known evolutionary mechanism—increases the prevalence of traits that enhance survival and reproduction. However, evolution does not merely propagate favorable traits, nor does it always benefit populations.

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What is Natural Selection?

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 22, 2026

Following the Dynamics of Structural Variants in Experimentally Evolved Populations

Following the Dynamics of Structural Variants in Experimentally Evolved Populations

Published on: February 3, 2023

Morphogenetic origin of natural variation.

Vladimir G Cherdantsev¹, Victoria A Scobeyeva

¹Department of Biological Evolution, Faculty of Biology, Moscow State University, Moscow 119234, Russia. arnosnew@mail.ru

|May 15, 2012

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Gastrulation movements in amphibians are driven by self-oscillations, not linear stages. This developmental process influences evolution by becoming a driving force for novel biological structures.

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Area of Science:

Developmental Biology
Evolutionary Biology
Amphibian Gastrulation Dynamics

Background:

Gastrulation is a fundamental developmental process involving significant cell rearrangement.
Understanding normal variation in gastrulation is key to comprehending developmental plasticity and evolution.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the dynamics of normal variation in amphibian gastrulation movements.
To elucidate the underlying mechanisms driving gastrulation geometry and its variability.
To explore the relationship between morphogenesis and evolutionary novelty.

Main Methods:

Analysis of developmental dynamics in two related amphibian species.
Mathematical modeling of gastrulation movements and spatial variance.
Comparison of between- and within-individual variation in gastrulation.

Main Results:

Gastrulation is characterized by self-oscillations rather than a linear progression of stages.
The geometry of cell movements directly influences these morphogenetic oscillations.
Variability in morphogenesis arises from the same principles as morphogenesis itself.
These oscillations share mathematical similarities with natural selection, favoring variance minimization.

Conclusions:

Morphogenesis, driven by self-oscillations, acts as a primary force in directional evolution.
Developmental variation influences the evolutionary trajectory by shaping character selection.
This mechanism provides a pathway for the origin of evolutionary novelties in biological structures.