321 Flashcards
(123 cards)
directional selection
- Favouring one extreme over the other
disruptive selection
favouring both extremes over intermediate phenotypes
niche partitioning
stabilizing selection
- Favouring intermediate phenotypes over both extremes
fitness
- Average lifetime contribution of individuals of a particular genotype to the population after one or more generations
- Includes not only the number of offspring born but also the number that survive
= Reproductive success
absolute fitness
Number of offspring produced over a
Lifetime
relative fitness
(w) average contribution of individuals of a given phenotype to the population relative to the fitness of the genotype with the highest fitness
* w11 = relative fitness of genotype
* W11 = absolute fitness of genotype
fitness determined by
viability, mating success, fecundity, fertilization success
viability
Probability of survival through reproductive age; does not affect fitness after last age of
last reproduction
mating success
Number of mates obtained by an individual; variation is the basis of sexual selection
fecundity
Average number of viable gametes per female; fertility of mating may depend on maternal genotype or genotypes of both partners
fertilization success
An allele may affect gamete’s ability to fertilize an ovum
coefficient of selection (s)
measure of the strength of selection that favours the allele of interest
sex
Process that combines genetic material from more than one individual.
Sex is not reproduction but a precursor to reproduction.
ADVANTAGES TO ASEXUALITY
▪ Avoids two-fold cost of producing males.
▪ No need to locate mates,
▪ advantage at low density.
▪ Maintains coadapted gene complexes,
▪ advantage in stable environments.
DISADVANTAGES TO ASEXUALITY
- Accumulate deleterious mutations
▪ Muller’s Ratchet. - Time delay in acquiring optimal multi-locus genotypes in changing environments.
▪ Clonal interference
▪ Ruby-in-the-rubbish-effect - Slow rate of evolution
▪ Allows sexually reproducing antagonists (parasites, competitors, and predators) to get the upper hand. - Selective sweeps can eradicate all variation from a population.
MULLER’S RACHET AND MUTATIONAL MELTDOWN IN ASEXUAL POPULATIONS
- An asexual genome cannot produceoffspring better than itself, except by rare back mutation.
- The ratchet advances when the best class leaves no offspring, or if all of its offspring have acquired new deleterious mutations.
- A mutational meltdown begins when the mutation load is so great that the populations is unable to replace itself.
key benefit of sex
-recombination provides a mechanism for eliminating deletrious mutations and possible genomic repair. children can have higher fitness than parents
▪ Many modern theories that provide an
explanation for the advantage of sex
incorporate an idea originally proposed by
Weismann more than 100 years ago
sex
allows natural selection to proceed more
effectively because it increases genetic
variation.
sexual selection
▪ Special form of selection that accounts for
many elaborate traits and behaviors in species.
▪ Arises from differences in the ability to find
and mate with members of the opposite sex.
▪ Only occurs when access to one or the other sex is limiting, ie., when there is competition for mates or offspring.
Why does SEXUAL SELECTION occur?
▪ Sexual selection can cause evolution of traits
that decrease survival if a reproductive
advantage compensates for the cost!!
2 forms of sexual selection
▪ Intrasexual selection: direct competition for mates between members of the same sex,
usually male-male competition (“combat”).
▪ Intersexual selection: differences in attractiveness to the opposite sex, usually non-random mate choice by females.
anisogamy
differential investment in gametes
sexual selection is directly related to
relative investment in offspring production