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Gene Flow + Migration

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GENE FLOW & MIGRATION

White Clover (Trifolium repens)


− CYP79D15 gene (cyanide-production)
 negative temperatures − plants do not produce cyanide
 low temperatures − plants produce cyanide

I. PATTERNS IN SPACE
 Cline
→ gradual (smooth) change in an allele frequency or in the mean of a character over a
geographical transect
→ can extend over large geographical scales or can be much shorter
→ product of local adaptation
 organisms evolve to be more well-suited to its local environment than other
members of the same species
→ example:
o altitudinal cline − yarrow plants mean height in different local populations
o latitudinal cline − moose (Alces alces) average body mass in Sweden

 Gene Flow
→ incorporation of genes into a gene pool of one population from one or more other
populations
→ erodes the differences in genes caused by selection and drift (balance)
→ gene pool − totality of genes of a given interbreeding population

II. ROLES OF GENE FLOW IN EVOLUTION


i. equalizes allele frequency
− erode genetic differences between populations
− may promote Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium
ii. introduces new alleles into a new population
− gene flow, like mutation, equalizes alleles
iii. results from dispersal of individuals and their gametes
 passive − move place to place with assistance (e.g., plants)
 active − move place to place without assistance (e.g., animals)

III. MIGRATION VS. GENE FLOW


• Evolutionary Biologists: synonym of gene flow
• Other context: directed large-scale movements of organism; do not necessarily result in gene flow

IV. HOW IS GENE FLOW MEASURED


a. discrete or patchy populations (e.g., islands & mountain tops)
 Migration Rate (m) − fraction of individuals that immigrated from one to another population
within the current generation
→ example: 1000 individuals in a population with 120 immigrants
𝑛𝑛𝑛𝑛. 𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜 𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖
 𝑚𝑚 = | m = 0.12
𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡 𝑝𝑝𝑝𝑝𝑝𝑝𝑝𝑝𝑝𝑝𝑝𝑝𝑝𝑝𝑝𝑝𝑝𝑝𝑝𝑝
  m = quicker genetic differences are erased
b. spatially continuous populations
 Migration Variance (σm2) − square root of the mean of the squared distances (birth places
of mother and their offspring)
→ example: Sceloporus olivaceus
 σm2 = 9800 m2 | σm = 99 m
  σm2 = quicker genetic differences are erased
GENE FLOW & MIGRATION

V. GENETIC DIVERGENCE BETWEEN POPULATIONS


 Genetic Divergence − gradual accumulation of difference in gene pools of genetically separated
populations (physical/biological barriers)
→ natural selection, genetic drift, mutation can contribute to divergence
→ countered by genetic flow
 FST - statistic used to describe genetic divergence between 2 or more populations
→ if the FST is 0: populations are genetically identical
→ if the FST is 1: population is fixed for a different allele
 many species with broad geographic ranges
→ FST increase with the distance between 2 populations
→ pattern called isolation-by-distance

VI. GENE FLOW & SELECTION


 both gene flow & local selection at work  allele frequencies evolve
 gene flow is weak relative to selection
→ allele frequencies evolve to what selection favors
 gene flow is strong relative to selection
→ gene swamping − genetic drift overwhelms local adaptation
→ allele frequencies equalize
 selection can also maintain differences, if it’s acting in all population

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