Neutral Evolution: Genetic Drift

Lecture Description

Neutral evolution occurs when genes do not experience natural selection because they have no effect on reproductive success. Neutrality arises when mutations in an organism's genotype cause no change in its phenotype, or when changes in the genotype bring about changes in the phenotype that do not affect reproductive success. Because neutral genes do not change in any particular direction over time and simply "drift," thanks in part to the randomness of meiosis, they can be used as a sort of molecular clock to determine common ancestors or places in the phylogenetic tree of life.

Course Description

This course presents the principles of evolution, ecology, and behavior for students beginning their study of biology and of the environment. It discusses major ideas and results in a manner accessible to all Yale College undergraduates. Recent advances have energized these fields with results that have implications well beyond their boundaries: ideas, mechanisms, and processes that should form part of the toolkit of all biologists and educated citizens.

Course Index

1. The Nature of Evolution: Selection, Inheritance, and History
2. Basic Transmission Genetics
3. Adaptive Evolution: Natural Selection
4. Neutral Evolution: Genetic Drift
5. How Selection Changes the Genetic Composition of Population
6. The Origin and Maintenance of Genetic Variation
7. The Importance of Development in Evolution
8. The Expression of Variation: Reaction Norms
9. The Evolution of Sex
10. Genomic Conflict
11. Life History Evolution
12. Sex Allocation
13. Sexual Selection
14. Species and Speciation
15. Phylogeny and Systematics
16. Comparative Methods: Trees, Maps, and Traits
17. Key Events in Evolution
18. Major Events in the Geological Theatre
19. The Fossil Record and Life's History
20. Coevolution
21. Evolutionary Medicine
22. The Impact of Evolutionary Thought on the Social Sciences
23. The Logic of Science
24. Climate and the Distribution of Life on Earth
25. Interactions with the Physical Environment
26. Population Growth: Density Effects
27. Interspecific Competition
28. Ecological Communities
29. Island Biogeography and Invasive Species
30. Energy and Matter in Ecosystems
31. Why So Many Species? The Factors Affecting Biodiversity
32. Economic Decisions for the Foraging Individual
33. Evolutionary Game Theory: Fighting and Contests
34. Mating Systems and Parental Care
35. Alternative Breeding Strategies
36. Selfishness and Altruism