a) How many of the gene trees do you expect to look like the species tree? b) You observe three gene trees in which species X and Z are the closest relatives and seven gene trees where X and Y are the closest relatives. What can you conclude from these data? Group of answer choices Historical hybridization between species W and X Historical hybridization between species X and Y Historical hybridization between species X and Z Historical hybridization between species Y and Z
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!
a)
How many of the gene trees do you expect to look like the species tree?
You observe three gene trees in which species X and Z are the closest relatives and seven gene trees where X and Y are the closest relatives. What can you conclude from these data?
Gene trees and species trees can be incongruent for a number of reasons, including historical hybridization, incomplete lineage sorting, and errors in gene tree reconstruction. When gene trees are incongruent with the species tree, it is important to consider the underlying causes in order to make accurate inferences about the evolutionary history of the group.
In the case of the three gene trees in which species X and Z are the closest relatives and the seven gene trees where X and Y are the closest relatives, the most likely explanation is historical hybridization between species X and Y. However, other explanations, such as incomplete lineage sorting or errors in gene tree reconstruction, are also possible. Additional information is needed to determine which explanation is most likely.
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