Textbook Question
Carl Linnaeus, the 18th-century botanist who laid the foundation for the modern system of taxonomic nomenclature, placed chimpanzees and humans in the same genus. Discuss the merits of this classification.
Ch. 20 - Population Genetics and Evolution at the Population, Species, and Molecular Levels
Sanders3rd EditionGenetic Analysis: An Integrated ApproachISBN: 9780135564172
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Table of contents
- Ch. 1 - The Molecular Basis of Heredity, Variation, and Evolution64
- Ch. 2 - Transmission Genetics144
- Ch. 3 - Cell Division and Chromosome Heredity81
- Ch. 4 - Gene Interaction87
- Ch. 5 - Genetic Linkage and Mapping in Eukaryotes103
- Ch. 6 - Genetic Analysis and Mapping in Bacteria and Bacteriophages73
- Ch. 7 - DNA Structure and Replication71
- Ch. 8 - Molecular Biology of Transcription and RNA Processing79
- Ch. 9 - The Molecular Biology of Translation110
- Ch. 10 - Eukaryotic Chromosome Abnormalities and Molecular Organization100
- Ch. 11 - Gene Mutation, DNA Repair, and Homologous Recombination86
- Ch. 12 - Regulation of Gene Expression in Bacteria and Bacteriophage90
- Ch. 13 - Regulation of Gene Expression in Eukaryotes38
- Ch. 14 - Analysis of Gene Function via Forward Genetics and Reverse Genetics72
- Ch. 15 - Recombinant DNA Technology and Its Applications69
- Ch. 16 - Genomics: Genetics from a Whole-Genome Perspective49
- Ch. 17 - Organelle Inheritance and the Evolution of Organelle Genomes27
- Ch. 18 - Developmental Genetics43
- Ch. 19 - Genetic Analysis of Quantitative Traits66
- Ch. 20 - Population Genetics and Evolution at the Population, Species, and Molecular Levels105
Sanders3rd EditionGenetic Analysis: An Integrated ApproachISBN: 9780135564172Not the one you use?Change textbook
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Sanders 3rd EditionCh. 20 - Population Genetics and Evolution at the Population, Species, and Molecular LevelsProblem 9
Sanders 3rd EditionCh. 20 - Population Genetics and Evolution at the Population, Species, and Molecular LevelsProblem 9Chapter 20, Problem 9
George Udny Yule was wrong in suggesting that an autosomal dominant trait like brachydactyly will increase in frequency in populations. Explain why Yule was incorrect.
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Understand the concept of autosomal dominant traits: These are traits where only one copy of the dominant allele is needed for the trait to be expressed.
Consider the Hardy-Weinberg principle: This principle states that allele and genotype frequencies in a population will remain constant from generation to generation in the absence of other evolutionary influences.
Identify the factors that can change allele frequencies: These include mutation, selection, gene flow, genetic drift, and non-random mating.
Recognize that Yule's assumption ignores these factors: Yule assumed that the frequency of a dominant trait would naturally increase, but this ignores the balance of evolutionary forces that can maintain or even decrease allele frequencies.
Conclude that dominance does not equate to increased frequency: The dominance of an allele does not inherently lead to an increase in its frequency without selective advantage or other evolutionary pressures.
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Key Concepts
Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.
Autosomal Dominant Inheritance
Autosomal dominant inheritance refers to a pattern where only one copy of a mutated gene from an affected parent can cause the trait to manifest in offspring. This means that individuals with the trait have a 50% chance of passing it on to their children. However, the trait's frequency in a population can be influenced by factors such as fitness and reproductive success.
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04:37
Variations on Dominance
Population Genetics
Population genetics studies the distribution and change in frequency of alleles within populations. Factors such as natural selection, genetic drift, and mutation can affect allele frequencies. In the case of brachydactyly, if the trait negatively impacts reproductive success, its frequency may not increase despite being autosomal dominant.
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03:45Descriptive Genetics
Fitness and Natural Selection
Fitness in genetics refers to an organism's ability to survive and reproduce in its environment. Natural selection can lead to a decrease in the frequency of traits that are disadvantageous for survival or reproduction. If brachydactyly reduces an individual's fitness, Yule's assumption that it would increase in frequency is flawed, as natural selection would likely counteract this increase.
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05:54Natural Selection
Related Practice
Textbook Question
Catastrophic events such as loss of habitat, famine, or overhunting can push species to the brink of extinction and result in a genetic bottleneck. What happens to allele frequencies in a species that experiences a near-extinction event, and what is expected to happen to allele frequencies if the species recovers from near extinction?
Textbook Question
Describe how selection at a locus can result in a loss of polymorphism surrounding the locus.
Textbook Question
How can ancient DNA provide insight into past migrations that analyses of extant human genomes fail to uncover?
Textbook Question
Denisovans are known from bones found in Denisova Cave in the Altai Mountains in Siberia, but traces of their DNA are found in Australians and Melanesians, whose ancestors likely migrated across Asia much farther to the south. How can these geographic differences be reconciled?
Textbook Question
The ability to taste the bitter compound phenylthiocarbamide (PTC) is an autosomal dominant trait. The inability to taste PTC is a recessive condition. In a sample of 500 people, 360 have the ability to taste PTC and 140 do not. Calculate the frequency of the recessive allele.