GlossaryMicroevolutionHardy-Weinberg rule
Allele frequencies stay the same over the generations when there is nomutation, the population is infinitely large and isolated from other populations of the species, mating is random, and all individuals arereproducing equally and randomly.
allele
One of two or more molecular forms of a gene that arise by mutation andcode for different versions of the same trait.
allelefrequency
For a given gene locus, the relative abundances of each kind of alleleamong all the individuals of a population.
balancedpolymorphism
Form of selection in which two or more alleles for a trait are beingmaintained in a population over time.
biogeography
Scientific study of the world distribution of species.
bottleneck
Severe reduction in the size of a population, brought about by intenseselection pressure or a natural calamity.
comparativemorphology
[Gk. morph, form] Scientific study of comparable body parts of adults or embryonic stages of major lineages.
directionalselection
Mode of natural selection by which allele frequencies underlying a rangeof phenotypic variation shift in a consistent direction, in response todirectional change or to new conditions in the environment.
disruptiveselection
Mode of natural selection by which the different forms of a trait at bothends of the range of variation are favored and intermediate forms areselected against.
evolution,biological
[L. evolutio, unrolling] Genetic change in a line of descent. Outcome of microevolutionary events: gene mutation, natural selection, genetic drift,and gene flow.
fitness
Increase in adaptation to environment, as brought about by geneticchange.
fixation
Loss of all but one kind of allele at a gene locus for all individuals in apopulation.
fossil
Recognizable, physical evidence of an organism that lived in the distantpast.
founder effect
A form of bottlenecking. By chance alone, a few individuals that establisha new population have allele frequencies that differ from those of theoriginal population.
gene flow
Microevolutionary process; alleles enter and leave a population as anoutcome of immigration and emigration, respectively.
gene pool
All genotypes in a population.
genetic drift
Change in allele frequencies over the generations due to chance alone. Itseffect is most pronounced in very small populations.
geneticequilibrium
In theory, a state in which a population is not evolving. These conditionsare met: no mutation, very large size, isolation from others of the species,no natural selection (all members reproduce, by random mating).
inbreeding
Nonrandom mating among close relatives that share many identical
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