Worksheet 11

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Dec 6, 2023

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Worksheet 11: Natural Selection & Non-random Mating 17 October 2023 7th Edition Section Pages Section 23.2 474-475 Non-random mating 23.3 475-482 Natural selection 23.4 482-485 Genetic drift 23.5 486-487 Gene flow 23.6 487-490 Mutation Vocabulary Neutral allele/mutation point mutation chromosome-level mutation Gene flow founder effect genetic bottleneck Sampling error sexual dimorphism heterozygote advantage Frequency-dependent selection intersexual selection Intrasexual selection stablizing selection disruptive selection Directional selection purifying selection inbreeding depression Please watch the following videos before class: Coat color in the Rock Pocket Mouse: Natural Selection and Evolution (embedded below) https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=sjeSEngKGrg Malaria and Sickle Cell Anemia: Natural Selection in Humans (embedded below) https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=Zsbhvl2nVNE Understanding 1. Can intra and inter sexual selection work together or must they work independently? Why? 1. Intra and intersexual selection can work together and often do not work independently. Intrasexual selection, involving competition among individuals of the same sex, can drive the evolution of traits that make individuals more attractive to the opposite sex, thus complementing intersexual selection. For example, competition among males can lead to the development of traits that are also favored by females, making the two forms of selection interconnected and influencing the same traits. This interaction can lead to more complex and multifaceted evolutionary outcomes, as traits are shaped by the interplay of both selection mechanisms. 2. Compare natural selection and sexual selection. Are they the same? 1. Natural selection and sexual selection are related evolutionary processes but are not the same. Natural selection is a broad mechanism through which individuals with advantageous traits for survival and reproduction in their environment are more likely to pass on their genes to the next generation. It operates on traits that influence overall fitness, encompassing both survival and reproductive success. In contrast, sexual
selection specifically focuses on traits that enhance an individual's ability to attract mates and succeed in reproduction, often leading to the development of ornamental or aggressive characteristics. While both natural and sexual selection involve the differential reproductive success of individuals based on their traits, they target different aspects of an organism's biology and are driven by distinct selective pressures, with sexual selection often acting independently or in conjunction with natural selection to shape mating-related traits. 3. What is the fundamental asymmetry of sex? 1. The fundamental asymmetry of sex reflects the fundamental difference in investment between males and females in reproduction. In many species, females typically invest more in reproduction due to their larger gametes (e.g., eggs) and the physiological costs associated with pregnancy and raising offspring. This asymmetry leads to differences in mating behaviors and strategies. Males often compete for access to mates and invest less in each individual offspring, while females are more selective in choosing mates and invest more in the well-being of their offspring. The fundamental asymmetry of sex underlies the evolution of various sexual traits and behaviors, such as male competition and female choice, and has far-reaching implications for the biology of reproduction and the evolution of sexual dimorphism. 4. How are natural selection and adaptation related? 1. Natural selection and adaptation are closely related concepts in the context of evolution. Natural selection is the process through which traits that enhance an individual's fitness, or ability to survive and reproduce, become more prevalent in a population over successive generations. Adaptation refers to the acquisition of traits that enhance an organism's fitness in a particular environment. In other words, adaptation is the result of natural selection acting on the genetic variation within a population, favoring traits that increase an organism's chances of survival and reproductive success in its specific ecological niche. Therefore, adaptation is the outcome of the evolutionary process driven by natural selection, as organisms gradually become better suited to their environments through the accumulation of advantageous traits. 5. What environmental conditions would favor stabilizing selection? What environments would favor balancing selection? 1. Stabilizing selection is favored in relatively stable and unchanging environments, where an intermediate trait value offers the highest fitness. In contrast, balancing selection is favored in unpredictable or heterogeneous environments where diverse traits provide advantages in varying circumstances. Stabilizing selection maintains the status quo by favoring the most common trait, while balancing selection preserves genetic diversity by supporting multiple trait variations, each advantageous in specific situations. These selection mechanisms represent adaptive responses to different environmental conditions, one aiming to
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