Flashcard: Bottleneck Effect and Genetic Drift

Front

What is the bottleneck effect in genetic drift?

Back

A sudden reduction in population size, leading to a limited gene pool and a change in allele frequency.

Front

What is the primary difference between the bottleneck effect and the founder effect?

Back

The bottleneck effect reduces genetic diversity due to a drastic reduction in population size, while the founder effect occurs when a small group of individuals establishes a new population.

Front

What can a significant reduction in a population due to the bottleneck effect lead to?

Back

Limited genetic variation and increased influence of genetic drift.

Front

What is a characteristic of the bottleneck effect?

Back

The gene pool of a population is greatly reduced due to a catastrophic event, resulting in a loss of genetic diversity.

Front

What scenario best represents the founder effect?

Back

A small group of birds from a large population starts a new colony on a distant island, leading to changes in genetic traits over generations.

Front

Define genetic drift.

Back

The random fluctuation of allele frequencies in a population due to chance events.

Front

How does the bottleneck effect impact genetic diversity?

Back

It reduces genetic diversity by limiting the gene pool.

Front

What is the founder effect?

Back

The establishment of a new population by a small group of individuals, leading to reduced genetic variation.

Front

Give an example of a situation that can cause a bottleneck effect.

Back

A natural disaster, such as a flood or fire, drastically reduces the population size.

Front

What is allele frequency?

Back

The proportion of a specific allele among all allele copies in a population.