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Related Concept Videos

Mutation, Gene Flow, and Genetic Drift01:09

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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).
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Natural selection influences the frequencies of particular alleles and phenotypes within populations in several different ways. Primarily, natural selection can be directional, stabilizing, or disruptive. Directional selection favors one extreme trait and shifts the population towards that phenotype while selecting against individuals displaying alternate traits. Stabilizing selection favors an intermediate trait with a narrow range of variation. Deviation from the optimal phenotype towards an...
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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.
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Diploid organisms have two alleles of each gene, one from each parent, in their somatic cells. Therefore, each individual contributes two alleles to the gene pool of the population. The gene pool of a population is the sum of every allele of all genes within that population and has some degree of variation. Genetic variation is typically expressed as a relative frequency, which is the percentage of the total population that has a given allele, genotype or phenotype.
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Following the Dynamics of Structural Variants in Experimentally Evolved Populations
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Balancing selection and drift in a polymorphic salamander metapopulation.

Sean T Giery1, Marketa Zimova2, Dana L Drake3

  • 1Department of Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA.

Biology Letters
|April 14, 2021
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Genetic drift and balancing selection drive color variation in spotted salamander metapopulations. Studying entire metapopulations reveals diverse evolutionary dynamics crucial for understanding genetic variation maintenance.

Keywords:
Ambystoma maculatumcontemporary evolutioneco-evolutionary dynamicshistorical resurveymicrogeographic variationpopulation size

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Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Population Genetics
  • Ecology

Background:

  • Maintaining genetic variation in metapopulations is a key evolutionary biology question.
  • Metapopulation studies offer a comprehensive view of evolutionary mechanisms, unlike single-population studies.
  • Egg mass color polymorphism in spotted salamanders provides a model for studying evolutionary drivers.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the evolutionary drivers of color morph frequency variation in a spotted salamander metapopulation.
  • To assess demographic, phenotypic, and environmental stability over three decades.
  • To understand the interplay of genetic drift and balancing selection in maintaining genetic variation.

Main Methods:

  • Historical resurvey of a spotted salamander metapopulation.
  • Analysis of demographic, phenotypic, and environmental data over 30 years.
  • Statistical analysis to detect evolutionary forces acting on color morph frequencies.

Main Results:

  • The spotted salamander metapopulation exhibited stability in demographic, phenotypic, and environmental factors over the past three decades.
  • Evidence for both genetic drift and balancing selection was found to be acting on egg mass color morph frequencies.
  • The specific balancing selection mechanism could not be identified from the current data.

Conclusions:

  • Metapopulation-scale studies are essential for capturing the full spectrum of evolutionary dynamics.
  • Genetic drift and balancing selection are significant forces shaping contemporary evolution of color morph frequencies.
  • Further research is needed to elucidate the precise balancing selection mechanisms at play.