Two populations of snakes are separated by a river. The snakescross the river only on rare occasions. The snakes in the two populationslook very similar to each other, except that the members ofthe population on the eastern bank of the river have a yellow spoton the top of their head, whereas the members of the western populationhave an orange spot on the top of their head. Discuss twoexperimental methods that you might use to determine whether thetwo populations are members of the same species or members ofdifferent ones.
Gene Flow
Gene flow, also known as gene migration, is the introduction of genetic material from a particular population to another population of the same species through interbreeding. For example, a bee facilitates its reproductive process by carrying pollen from one flower to another. The flow alters the composition of the gene pool of the receiving population. It introduces new alleles within the population and helps increase variability. This exchange of genetic material occurs through reproduction and brings about new combinations of traits into the population. Where human beings are concerned, actual migration of populations, whether voluntary or forced, brings about gene flow.
Population Biology
Population biology is the study of patterns in organism populations, specifically the growth and management of population size, population genetics, the evolution of life history, species interactions, and demography.
Speciation
The process of speciation involves the formation of new species during evolution. The new species evolve in such a way that both new and old species are not able to interbreed. Thus, speciation occurs when few members of one species get separated from the main species due to geographical, mechanical, or reproductive isolation. These separated members develop new traits that make them different from the main species. In other words, speciation could be defined as the absence of gene flow between two populations that become new species.
Allele Fixation
A gene is a unit of heredity and contains both physical and functional information that shapes an individual. Genes are made up of DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid), which carry genetic information from one generation to another, from one set of parents to their offspring, and so on. Every cell in a human body, or any living organism, has the same DNA, which implies that every cell in an individual’s body has all the information it needs to build and sustain the body!
Two populations of snakes are separated by a river. The snakes
cross the river only on rare occasions. The snakes in the two populations
look very similar to each other, except that the members of
the population on the eastern bank of the river have a yellow spot
on the top of their head, whereas the members of the western population
have an orange spot on the top of their head. Discuss two
experimental methods that you might use to determine whether the
two populations are members of the same species or members of
different ones.
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