Chapter 23

Question 1

Population genetics is a field that is concerned with ______.

Answer 1

changes in genetic variation within a group of individuals over time

Question 2

Consider a population of cheetahs, inhabiting a protected area in Africa. In 2012, there were 112 cheetahs in this population. During that year, 60 of those animals reproduced and 48 new cubs were born. What constitutes the gene pool of the new generation made of those 48 new cubs?

Answer 2

all of the alleles of every gene that were passed from the 60 parents to the 48 new cubs

Question 3

Which of the following correctly defines a population of sexually reproducing species for the purposes of population genetics?

Answer 3

a group of individuals that occupy the same area and can interbreed with each other

Question 4

Consider a population and a gene that has two alleles in this population, designated as P and p. If you divide the number of all the copies of the p allele in the population by the total number of copies of both alleles (P and p) in the population, you will calculate the ______ frequency of the ______.

Answer 4

allele
p allele

Question 5

How can we calculate the frequency of a specific genotype in a population?

Answer 5

The number of individuals with this genotype in the population is divided by the total number of individuals in the population.

Question 6

In order to derive the Hardy-Weinberg equation, the two originators assumed that ______ the population’s gene pool.

Answer 6

gametes are formed from alleles independently chosen at random from

Question 7

How is the allele frequency of a population calculated?

Answer 7

The number of copies of the allele in the population is divided by the total number of all the alleles for the same gene in the population.

Question 8

Consider a population and a gene that has two alleles in this population, designated as D and d. If you divide the number of individuals with the genotype DD by the total number of individuals in the population, you will calculate the ______ frequency of the ______.

Answer 8

genotype; DD genotype

Question 9

Consider a population of a hypothetical animal, whose fur color is determined by a single gene, called Col. From the list below choose all conditions that must be met in order for this population to be in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium for the Col gene.

Answer 9

no new mutations in the Col gene
there is no natural selection
animals in the population mate randomly regardless of their genotype for the Col gene

Question 10

Which of the following is the best definition of Darwinian fitness as it relates to population genetics?

Answer 10

the relative likelihood that a genotype will contribute alleles to the next generation as compared to other genotypes

Question 11

Which of the following is a situation in which directional selection may be observed?

Answer 11

A new allele, which promotes higher fitness in organisms that carry it, is introduced in a population (for example, by a random mutation).