Gene pool Total sum of all the genetic information available for reproduction within the population
Allele frequency Measurement of how often an allele appears
Outline how isolation of a gene pool can lead to evolution
- Initially isolated populations may have been genetically different - Different mutations in two gene pools - Different parts of population subject to different selective pressures - Over time leads to changes in allele frequency - May lead to reproductive isolation
Describe the importance of changes in allele frequency for the evolution
of one species into another - Natural selective pressures result in survival of advantageous alleles - Frequency of these alleles will increase through reproduction - These alleles spread through population - Basis for microevolution - Over time many advantageous genes accumulate in a species - When may changes occur some members of a species cannot successfully mate with others - Reproductive isolation - Results in evolution of a new species
Describe barrier between gene pools
- Temporal barrier - Different populations mate at different times of year thus preventing interbreeding - Allele frequencies become different in the two gene pools - Behaviour barrier - Different courtship behaviour, so no mating between two populations - Mechanical barrier - It occurs when physical differences prevent copulation or pollination
Compare allopathic speciation and sympatric speciation
- Both lead to formation of new species - Allopatric occurs in a different geographical area whereas sympatric occurs in the same geographical area - Allopatric have physical barriers whereas sympatric have behavioural barriers - Both lead to genetically isolated populations/gene pools
Explain how speciation can occur due to polyploidy
- Speciation is the process by which new species arise - Chromosomes pairs fail to separate during meiosis - Can lead to gametes with multiple of the normal chromosome number - Polyploids may be well adapted to their environment - Common in plants - Polyploidy is a form of sympatric speciation - Leading to reproductive isolation from parent species - Polyploid individuals can interbreed with one another - Breeding with original species leads to infertile hybrids
Discuss evolution by gradualism and punctuated equilibrium
- Both describe the rate of evolution - Gradualism suggests that evolution occurs over long time - Gradualism changes are slow over time - Gradualism would occur when there is little change in the environment - Punctuated equilibrium implies long periods with no change - Punctuated equilibrium implies short periods with great change - Punctuated equilibrium occurs when there are great changes in the environment - Fossil record supports this: Lack of intermediate fossils - e.g. Climate change - Generally accepted that both ideas take place in evolution - Some mutations had no physical effects so not visible in the fossil record
Explain how new species can emerge by
Directional selection - Natural selection favours one end of the range of variation - Progressive change in a population in that direction - Species changes sufficiently over time to be regarded as a different species - Isolated population subjected to directional selection while other parts of the species are not - Isolated population eventually different enough not to interbreed Disruptive selection - Extreme types selected for - Extreme types are adapted to different niches - Reproductive barriers become established between extreme types Polyploidy - Having three or more sets of chromosomes - Sometimes occurs due to an error in mitosis/meiosis - Many new species formed as tetraploids - Triploids are infertile