Exam 3 - conservation genetics

Question 1

List four genetic issues in conservation biology

Answer 1

1. deleterious effects of inbreeding on reproduction and survival
2. loss of genetic diversity and ability to evolve in response to environmental change
3. fragmentation of populations and reduction of gene flow
4. random processes (genetic drift) overriding natural selection as the main evolutionary force

Question 2

DNA is the _______ of life

Answer 2

blueprint

Question 3

List 5 reasons we should be concerned with genetic diversity

Answer 3

1. genetic variation is the raw material for future adaptation and is the basis for evolutionary flexibility and responsiveness
2. natural selection results in the accumulation of genetic variations favored by the environment
3. rate of evolutionary change (adaptive potential) in a population is equally proportional to the amount of available genetic diversity
4. biodiversity at the genetic level is the primary level of biodiversity
5. conservation benefits from genetic research

Question 4

list three importances of genetic diversity

Answer 4

1. adaptive variation shows the health of a population
2. high genetic diversity indicates fitness
3. measure of heterozygosity loss can indicate genetic problems

Question 5

______ populations have the increased tendency to _____ variation which leads to ____ of adaptive variation and the increased risk of _________ ultimately resulting in the ________ ability to maintain ________ and __________ __________.

Answer 5

small (or isolated), lose, loss, extinction, reduced, biodiversity and evolutionary trajectories

Question 6

how is genetic variation measured?

Answer 6

molecular clocks (standard rate of mutation)

Question 7

bottleneck recovery depends on what two things:

Answer 7

growth rate and the number of founders

Question 8

panmictic

Answer 8

contiguous single population of interbreeding individuals

Question 9

small populations are more likely to go extinct than large ones because

Answer 9

• more rapid loss of genetic variability over time due to genetic drift and inbreeding
• increased vulnerability to demographic stochasticity and the alee effect