Genetic diversity
hideGenetic diversity is a level of biodiversity that refers to the total number of genetic characteristics in the genetic makeup of a species. It is distinguished from genetic variability, which describes the tendency of genetic characteristics to vary.
The academic field of population genetics includes several hypotheses and theories regarding genetic diversity. The neutral theory of evolution proposes that diversity is the result of the accumulation of neutral substitutions. Diversifying selection is the hypothesis that two subpopulations of a species live in different environments that select for different alleles at a particular locus. This may occur, for instance, if a species has a large range relative to the mobility of individuals within it. Frequency-dependent selection is the hypothesis that as alleles become more common, they become less fit. This is often invoked in host-pathogen interactions, where a high frequency of a defensive allele among the host means that it is more likely that a pathogen will spread if it is able to overcome that allele.
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News tagged with genetic diversity
Kill the cancer, not the patient: New toxicity testing approach could make chemo drugs safer
Nov 18, 2009 |
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For cancer patients on chemotherapy, the "cure" can be as deadly as the disease itself. Adverse drug reactions are one of the leading causes of death among patients receiving cancer treatment.
Save the seeds: Scientists are relocating plants that may be affected by climate change
Nov 17, 2009 |
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As warmer temperatures threaten to devastate plant species across the globe, scientists are taking the lead by relocating plants to safer grounds, according to a recent New York Times article.
Research study on the European mink, Mustela lutreola
Nov 02, 2009 |
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The European mink, Mustela lutreola, is a species catalogued as in danger of extinction, due to the large decline in their population over the past century. It is considered to be one of the most endangered mammals, both l ...
New research shows how mobile DNA survives -- and thrives -- in plants, animals
Oct 21, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Bits of movable DNA called transposable elements or TEs fill up the genomes of plants and animals, but it has remained unclear how a genome can survive a rapid burst of hundreds, even thousands of new TE ...
Sex life may hold key to honeybee survival
Sep 14, 2009 |
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The number and diversity of male partners a queen honeybee has could help to protect her children from disease, say University of Leeds scientists, who are investigating possible causes of the widespread increase ...
Genome sequencing reveals genetic diversity of the bacteria that cause Buruli ulcer
Sep 11, 2009 |
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A new study lays the groundwork for development of a cost-effective tool for studying the population structure and spread of Mycobacterium ulcerans, the causative agent of Buruli ulcer. Researchers at the Swiss Tropical Instit ...
Top wheat experts call for scaling up efforts to combat Ug99 and other wheat rusts
Sep 11, 2009 |
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Wheat experts from 26 countries warn that rapidly-moving, wind-borne transboundary wheat diseases continue to threaten food security and wheat genetic diversity worldwide — particularly in the ancient breadbasket stretching ...
The peopling of the Americas: Genetic ancestry influences health
Aug 14, 2009 |
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At one time or another most of us wonder where we came from, where our parents or grandparents and their parents came from. Did our ancestors come from Europe or Asia? As curious as we are about our ancestors, for practical ...
Researchers study genetic evolution of African dogs
Aug 04, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- African village dogs are not a mixture of modern breeds but have directly descended from an ancestral pool of indigenous dogs, according to a Cornell-led genetic analysis of hundreds of semi-feral ...
Getting to the bottom of rice
Jul 23, 2009 |
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Rice is the world's most important food crop. Understanding its valuable genetic diversity and using it to breed new rice varieties will provide the foundation for improving rice production into the future ...
Inbred bumblebees less successful
Jul 02, 2009 |
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Declining bumblebee populations are at greater risk of inbreeding, which can trigger a downward spiral of further decline. Researchers writing in the open access journal BMC Evolutionary Biology have provided the first proof ...
Working to conserve endangered 'Playboy' bunnies
Jun 29, 2009 |
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Playboy founder Hugh Hefner's legacy will live on with a new University of Central Florida study aimed at saving the endangered bunnies named after him.
Research could help save tuatara from extinction
Jun 22, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Research by Victoria University PhD graduate Kim Miller could help to successfully manage tuatara and skink populations in danger of becoming extinct.
Domestication of Capsicum annuum chile pepper provides insights into crop origin and evolution
Jun 19, 2009 |
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Without the process of domestication, humans would still be hunters and gatherers, and modern civilization would look very different. Fortunately, for all of us who do not relish the thought of spending our ...
Grey wolf withdrawn from US endangered list
May 04, 2009 |
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The grey wolf was Monday taken off the US list of endangered species, making a comeback 35 years after it virtually disappeared and can now be hunted in most US states, officials said.
