LESSON 15: MECHANISMS IN POPULATION

There are several mechanism of evolution

1. Natural Selection
2. Gene Flow
3. Genetic drift
4. Mutations
5. Non-random mating

NATURAL SELECTION
 Affects variation in a population as the better adapted (more fit) individuals to their environment
survive and reproduce, passing on their genes to the successive generations increasing the
frequency of favorable alleles in the population.
 Nature “selects” which organisms will be successful
EXAMPLE:
 Imagine that green beetles are easier for birds to spot (and hence, eat). Brown beetles are a little
more likely to survive to produce offspring. They pass their genes for brown coloration on to their
offspring. So in the next generation, brown beetles are more common than in the previous
generation.

GENE FLOW
 Is the movement of alleles into or out of a population
(immigration or emigration)
 Gene flow can introduce new alleles into a gene pool
or can change allele frequencies.
 The overall effect of gene flow is to counteract
natural selection by creating less differences
between populations.
 Example:
 Plant pollen being blown into a new area

 Gene flow is what happens when two or more populations interbreed.

 This generally increases genetic diversity.
EXAMPLE: Some individuals from a population of brown beetles mighthave joined a population
of green beetles. That would make the genes for brown beetles more frequent in the green beetle
population

GENETIC DRIFT
 The change in allele frequencies as a result of chance processes.
 These changes are much more pronounced in small populations.
 Directly related to the population numbers.
 Smaller population sizes are more susceptible to genetic drift than larger populations because
there is a greater chance that a rare allele will be lost.

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 EXAMPLE: Imagine that in one generation, two brown
beetles happened to have four offspring survive to
reproduce. Several green beetles were killed when
someone stepped on them and had no offspring. The next
generation would have a few more brown beetles than the
previous generation—but just by chance. These chance
changes from generation to generation are known as
genetic drift.

MUTATIONS
 Are inheritable changes in the genotype.
 Provide the variation that can be acted upon by natural selection.
 Mutations provide the raw material on which natural selection can act.
 Only source of additional genetic material and new alleles.
 Can be neutral, harmful or beneficial( give an individual
 a better chance for survival).
 Antibiotic resistance in bacteria is one form.
 Mutation is a change in DNA the hereditary material of life. An organism’s
DNA affects how it looks, how it behaves, and its physiology—all aspects
of its life. So a change in an organism’s DNA can cause changes in all
aspects of its life.
 Somatic mutations occur in non-reproductive cells and won’t be passed
onto offspring.
 For example, the lighter color on half of this Red Delicious apple was caused by a somatic
mutation. The seeds of this apple do not carry the mutation.

A single germ line mutation can have a range of effects:

1. No change occurs in
phenotype.
2. Small change occurs in phenotype.
3. Big change occurs in phenotype. Some really important phenotypic changes, like DDT
resistance in insects are sometimes caused by single mutations. A single mutation can also have strong
negative effects for the organism. Mutations that cause the death of an organism are called lethals
—and it doesn't get more negative than that.

CAUSES OF MUTATIONS
 DNA fails to copy accurately.
 External influences can create mutations.
 Mutations can also be caused by exposure to specific chemicals or radiation.

NON-RANDOM MATING
 In animals, non-random mating can change allele
frequencies as the choice of mates is often an important
part of behaviour.
 Many plants self-pollinate, which is also a form of non-
random mating (inbreeding).

GENERAL BIOLOGY 2 NICOLITES MONTESSORI SCHOOL

 ACTIVITY SHEET NO. 15
GENERAL BIOLOGY 2
Topic: Mechanisms in Populations

Name: _________________________________ Grade/Strand: __________________

Directions: Answer the following questions below.

Multiple Choice
1. Galápagos medium ground finches are found on Santa Cruz and San Cristóbal islands, which are
separated by about 100 km of ocean. Occasionally, individuals from either island fly to the other island
to stay. This can alter the allele frequencies of the population through which of the following
mechanisms?
A. natural selection
B. genetic drift
C. gene flow
D. mutation
2. In which of the following pairs do both evolutionary processes introduce new genetic variation into a
population?
A. natural selection and genetic drift
B. mutation and gene flow
C. natural selection and gene flow
D. gene flow and genetic drift
Free Response
Describe natural selection and give an example of natural selection at work in a population.

GENERAL BIOLOGY 2 NICOLITES MONTESSORI SCHOOL