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Chapter 6: Population Genetics 2: Migration, Drift, Non-random Mating Destinations

Explore key concepts and research through these links to additional web resources.

6.1 Migration

• Gene Flow and Conservation
  The effect of gene flow on fragmented populations is a major issue in conservation. This link takes you to Theoretical and Empirical Approaches to the Study of Gene Flow in Fragmented, Managed, and Continuous Populations, the proceedings from a workshop from the National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis and focuses on methods for assessing gene flow on small, ecological scales.
  Keywords: gene flow, conservation, ecology

• Genetic Effects of Straying in Fish
  Joe Felsenstein from the University of Washington discusses the problems of gene flow from fish hatchery populations into wild stocks.
  Keywords: fish hatcheries, gene flow, research

6.2 Genetic Drift

• Biology Project
  This site, from the Biology Project at University of Arizona, is a good teaching tool for understanding genetic drift. Here you can visualize evolution at a simple level and develop your intuition for the process of genetic drift.
  Keywords: genetic drift, Biology Project, evolution

• Genetic Drift Simulation
  This site, from the University of Connecticut, lets you plug in allele frequencies and population size and graphs the results.
  Keywords: genetic drift, simulation, allelic frequencies

6.3 Genetic Drift and Molecular Evolution

• Random Genetic Drift
  This article from Talk.Origins discusses the most important evolutionary process next to natural selection, genetic drift. Here Laurence Moran reviews the dynamics of genetic drift with some real life examples of this process.
  Keywords: genetic drift, evolution, natural selection

6.4 Nonrandom Mating

• Inbreeding vs. Outbreeding
  This article from the Dr. Eckert at the University of Toronto addresses the evolutionary advantage of outbreeding. Using flowering plants as it model system he explores the evolutionary ecology and reproductive strategies used by these species.
  Keywords: evolution, outbreeding, inbreeding

• Florida Panther
  The Florida Panther is a classic example of the effects of small population size on inbreeding and inbreeding depression. The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service supports this web site.
  Keywords: Florida panther, endangered species, inbreeding depression

6.5 Conservation Genetics of the Illinois Greater Prairie Chicken

• ALEX
  ALEX is a population-modelling program designed for the Analysis of the Likelihood of Extinction. This site introduces you to some of the simulation software used to assess extinction risk based on a variety of ecological parameters using an approach called Population Viability Analysis.
  Keywords: conservation, extinction, genetics

• Conservation Breeding Specialist Group
  A division of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the Conservation Breeding Specialist Group is international conservation organization whose mission is "to assist conservation of threatened animal and plant species through scientific management of small populations in wild habitats, with linkage to captive populations where needed." This site offers some interesting information on how that's done.
  Keywords: conservation, breeding, IUCN