Chapter 17: Evolution of Populations
Chapter 17.1 (Pgs 482-486): Genes and Variation
Phenotypic Variation Most organisms contain two sets of genes One allele from each parent Different combinations of alleles and environment produce variation in phenotypes Natural selection acts directly on phenotypes, not the alleles
Populations and Gene Pools A group of individuals of the same species that mate and produce offspring is called a population These individuals share a gene pool, all the genes and alleles for each gene in a population
Allele Frequency The # of times an allele occurs in a gene pool, compared to the total # of alleles for that gene Evolution occurs when allele frequency in a population changes over time Populations, not individuals, evolve
Single-Gene Traits Are controlled by only one gene Only have two alleles May only have two or three distinct phenotypes
Polygenic Traits Are controlled by two or more genes Each gene has two or more alleles Has many possible genotypes and even more different phenotypes