Microevolution
Mechanisms of evolution
How populations Evolve
Overview: The Smallest Unit of Evolution
● Organisms DO NOT evolve
● Natural selection acts on
individuals, but only
populations evolve
● Genetic variations in populations
are essential to evolution
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Population genetics & evolution
Population genetics is the
study of allele frequencies in
populations or tracking
microevolution.
Microevolution is change in
the genetic makeup of a
population from generation to
generation
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Modern Synthesis
● This modern synthesis focuses on
populations as units of evolution
● Integrates Mendelian genetics with
the Darwinian theory of evolution by
natural selection
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Gene Pools and Allele Frequencies
● A population is a localized group o
individuals that belong to the same
species.
● A gene pool is defined by its allele
frequencies, it’s the total
aggregate or “pool” of genes in a
population at any one time. This
includes all alleles at all gene loci
in all individuals of the population
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Mutations &
Sexual recombination
produce the variation in gene
pools that contributes to
differences among individuals,
and that makes evolution
possible
Many of you said sexual reproduction will
have more genetic variation than asexual
reproduction…. why?
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Asexual reproduction
Sexual
Recombination
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Genetic Variation
● Genetic variation occurs in individuals in populations of
all species
● It is not always heritable
Variation Between Populations
Most species exhibit
geographic variation
differences between
gene pools of
separate populations
or population
subgroups
Separated by
mountains, several
populations of house
mice on the island of
Madeira have
evolved in isolation
from one another.
How do we preserve Genetic Variation?
● Various mechanisms help to preserve genetic
variation in a population:
• Diploidy
• Balancing Selection
• Heterozygote Advantage
• Frequency Dependent Selection
• Neutral Variation
• Sexual Selection
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Diploidy
Diploidy maintains genetic variation
in the form of hidden recessive
alleles
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Balancing Selection
● Balancing selection occurs
when natural selection
maintains stable
frequencies of two or more
phenotypic forms in a
population
● Balancing selection leads
to a state called balanced
polymorphism
Frequency-Dependent Selection
In frequency-dependent selection, the fitness of any morph
declines if it becomes too common in the population
Heterozygote Advantage
● Some individuals who are heterozygous at a particular
locus have greater fitness than homozygotes
● Natural selection will tend to maintain two or more alleles at
that locus
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Neutral Variation
Neutral variation is genetic variation that
appears to confer no selective advantage
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Evolution is a change in
gene frequencies
Population size
The smaller a sample, the greater the chance
of deviation from a predicted result
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Genetic Drift
● Genetic drift describes how allele frequencies fluctuate unpredictably
from one generation to the next
● Genetic drift tends to reduce genetic variation through losses of alleles
The Bottleneck Effect
● Sudden change in the
environment that may drastically
reduce the size of a population
● The resulting gene pool may no
longer be reflective of the original
population’s gene pool
Achromatopsia and Pingelap
Inability to perceive colour and 20 survivers following typhoon Liengkieki
low visual acuity
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The Founder Effect
● Occurs when a few individuals become
isolated from a larger population
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Sexual Selection ● Sexual selection is
natural selection for
mating success
● It can result in sexual
dimorphism, marked
differences between the
sexes in secondary
sexual characteristics
Intrasexual selection: direct
competition among
individuals of one sex
Intersexual selection:
members of one sex are
choosy in selecting their
mates from individuals of
another sex
Mutations
Gene Flow
Genetic additions or subtractions from a population,
resulting from movement of fertile individuals or gametes
A population to gain or lose alleles
It tends to reduce differences between populations over
time 30
Natural Selection
Differential success in reproduction results
in certain alleles being passed to the next
generation in greater proportions
Natural selection
accumulates and maintains
favorable genotypes in a
population
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Why Natural Selection Cannot Fashion
Perfect Organisms
● Evolution is limited by historical constraints
● Adaptations are often compromises
● Chance and natural selection interact
● Selection can only edit existing variations
