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.
For more information about Genetic diversity, read the full article at
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News tagged with genetic diversity
Supervolcano eruption -- in Sumatra -- deforested India 73,000 years ago
Space & Earth / Earth Sciences
Nov 23, 2009 |
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A new study provides "incontrovertible evidence" that the volcanic super-eruption of Toba on the island of Sumatra about 73,000 years ago deforested much of central India, some 3,000 miles from the epicenter, ...
Opposites attract: Monkeys choose mating partners with different genes
Nov 24, 2009 |
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The world's largest species of monkey 'chooses' mates with genes that are different from their own to guarantee healthy and strong offspring, according to a new research study.
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.
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.
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 ...
Geneticists publish largest-ever study on African genetics revealing origins, migration
Apr 30, 2009 |
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African, American, and European researchers working in collaboration over a 10-year period have released the largest-ever study of African genetic data--more than four million genotypes--providing a library of new information ...
Despite their diversity, pygmies of Western Central Africa share recent common ancestors
Biology /
Feb 05, 2009 |
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Despite the great cultural, physical, and genetic diversity found amongst the numerous West Central African human populations that are collectively designated as "Pygmies," a report published online on February 5th in Current Bi ...
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 ...
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 ...
Europe's bison: prehistoric survivor with Achilles' heel
Biology /
Feb 26, 2009 |
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As if straight out of prehistory, dozens of bison emerge timidly from the dark trunks of a primeval forest, their imposing bulk masking their vulnerability.
Study shows how glaciers affected deer evolution
Mar 26, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- A 10-year study of mule and black-tailed deer has found unique subspecies created by the animals' responses to climate change thousands of years ago.
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 ...
Mountain caribou's ancient ancestry revealed
Biology /
Jan 28, 2009 |
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The declining mountain caribou populations of Canada's southern Rockies are a more distinct breed than scientists previously believed, according to a new study by University of Calgary researchers that is ...
Shade coffee benefits more than birds
Biology /
Dec 22, 2008 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Here's one more reason to say "shade grown, please" when you order your morning cup of coffee. Shade coffee farms, which grow coffee under a canopy of multiple tree species, not only harbor ...
