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
Genetic ancestry highly correlated with ethnic and linguistic groups in Asia
Dec 10, 2009 |
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Several genome-wide studies of human genetic diversity have been conducted on European populations. Now, for the first time, these studies have been extended to 73 Southeast Asian (SEA) and East Asian (EA) populations.
UNSW students sequence genome of the Wollemi Pine
Dec 17, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- UNSW students have sequenced the chloroplast genome of the ancient Wollemi Pine - a world first that could reveal how a "dinosaur" of the tree kingdom survived 200 million years of shifting ...
Study reveals lack of diversity in embryonic stem cell lines
Dec 16, 2009 |
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The most widely used human embryonic stem cell lines lack genetic diversity, a finding that raises social justice questions that must be addressed to ensure that all sectors of society benefit from stem cell advances, according ...
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Some birds listen, instead of look, for mates
Dec 02, 2009 |
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Looks can be deceiving, but certain bird species have figured out that a voice can tell them most of what they need to know to find the right mate.
Understanding apples' ancestors
Dec 11, 2009 |
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Wild Malus orientalis -- species of wild apples that could be an ancestor of today's domesticated apples -- are native to the Middle East and Central Asia. A new study comparing the diversity of recently acquir ...
Seeing how evolutionary mechanisms yield biological diversity
Dec 22, 2009 |
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An international team of scientists has discovered how changes in both gene expression and gene sequence led to the diversity of visual systems in African cichlid fish.
Genetic study clarifies African and African-American ancestry
Dec 21, 2009 |
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People who identify as African-American may be as little as 1 percent West African or as much as 99 percent, just one finding of a large-scale, genome-wide study of African and African-American ancestry released ...
DNA study sheds new light on horse evolution
Dec 10, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Ancient DNA retrieved from extinct horse species from around the world has challenged one of the textbook examples of evolution - the fossil record of the horse family Equidae over the past ...
Europe's flora is becoming impoverished
Dec 11, 2009 |
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With increasing species richness, due to more plant introductions than extinctions, plant communities of many European regions are becoming more homogeneous. The same species are occurring more frequently, ...
Study finds new relationship between gene duplication and alternative splicing in plants
Dec 07, 2009 |
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University of Georgia scientists looking to understand the genetic mechanisms of plant defense and growth have found for the first time in plants an inverse relationship between gene duplication and alternative ...
Probing Question: What are wildlife corridors?
Dec 10, 2009 |
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Imagine that an unknown force hacks your city into two chunks. Because of this new barrier, you can’t get from your home to your office or the grocery store. Suddenly, your access to critical resources is ...
Species down, disease up: Study shows biodiversity loss drives human infections
Dec 03, 2009 |
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The extinction of plant and animal species can be likened to emptying a museum of its collection, or dumping a cabinet full of potential medicines into the trash, or replacing every local cuisine with McDonald's burgers.
Wolf recovery at crossroads in the Southwest
Dec 06, 2009 |
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(AP) -- A decade has passed since the federal government began releasing Mexican wolves into the wild in an effort to return the endangered animal to its historic range in the Southwest. It hasn't worked ...
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