Podcast
Questions and Answers
What does the term 'discordant' refer to in the context of human genetic variation?
What does the term 'discordant' refer to in the context of human genetic variation?
Which of the following statements describes a clinal distribution of genetic variation?
Which of the following statements describes a clinal distribution of genetic variation?
What is a hard selective sweep in the context of natural selection?
What is a hard selective sweep in the context of natural selection?
Which of the following is an example of a selective sweep observed in the human genome?
Which of the following is an example of a selective sweep observed in the human genome?
Signup and view all the answers
What is polygenic adaptation?
What is polygenic adaptation?
Signup and view all the answers
Why is genetic diversity outside of Africa considered to be a subset of that within the continent?
Why is genetic diversity outside of Africa considered to be a subset of that within the continent?
Signup and view all the answers
What is the primary focus of proximate explanations in medical research?
What is the primary focus of proximate explanations in medical research?
Signup and view all the answers
Why is most human genetic diversity concentrated in Africa?
Why is most human genetic diversity concentrated in Africa?
Signup and view all the answers
Which of the following traits is NOT mentioned as an example of selective sweeps in the human genome?
Which of the following traits is NOT mentioned as an example of selective sweeps in the human genome?
Signup and view all the answers
What is a common misconception about DNA ancestry tests?
What is a common misconception about DNA ancestry tests?
Signup and view all the answers
What is a cline in the context of human genetic variation?
What is a cline in the context of human genetic variation?
Signup and view all the answers
What is suggested by the concept of population substructure within clines?
What is suggested by the concept of population substructure within clines?
Signup and view all the answers
What effect does the founder effect have on genetic diversity outside of Africa?
What effect does the founder effect have on genetic diversity outside of Africa?
Signup and view all the answers
What is polygenic adaptation?
What is polygenic adaptation?
Signup and view all the answers
Which of the following terms refers to categories of populations that share a common ancestor and specific genetic markers?
Which of the following terms refers to categories of populations that share a common ancestor and specific genetic markers?
Signup and view all the answers
What major critique is raised against the idea that race is a genetically determined category?
What major critique is raised against the idea that race is a genetically determined category?
Signup and view all the answers
What does a haplogroup represent in genetic ancestry tests?
What does a haplogroup represent in genetic ancestry tests?
Signup and view all the answers
How does the genetic clustering of a reference population depend?
How does the genetic clustering of a reference population depend?
Signup and view all the answers
What can influence the names of reference groups in genetic ancestry analysis?
What can influence the names of reference groups in genetic ancestry analysis?
Signup and view all the answers
What is a likely consequence of changing data from reference groups?
What is a likely consequence of changing data from reference groups?
Signup and view all the answers
What is the primary function of a reference population in genetic ancestry testing?
What is the primary function of a reference population in genetic ancestry testing?
Signup and view all the answers
According to Dr. Jada Benn Torres, how can genetic ancestry testing impact communities?
According to Dr. Jada Benn Torres, how can genetic ancestry testing impact communities?
Signup and view all the answers
What aspect of ancestry testing is significant according to the age of direct-to-consumer testing?
What aspect of ancestry testing is significant according to the age of direct-to-consumer testing?
Signup and view all the answers
What is a possible effect of genetic ancestry testing on historical racial identities?
What is a possible effect of genetic ancestry testing on historical racial identities?
Signup and view all the answers
Study Notes
Proximate vs Ultimate Explanations
- Proximate explanations refer to how the body works, focusing on structure or mechanism.
- Ultimate/Evolutionary explanations focus on why questions about origins and functions.
Human Genetic Variation
- Most human genetic diversity evolved in Africa due to a long evolutionary history on the continent.
- Genetic diversity outside of Africa is less diverse due to founder effect and genetic drift.
Clines and Substructure
- A cline is a gradual change in allele frequency across geographic regions.
- Substructure within clines is due to nonrandom mating and periodic isolation.
Criticisms of Race as a Genetically Determined Category
- Human genetic variation is clinal, meaning traits vary gradually across regions.
- Most human genetic variation is discordant, meaning traits we use to define race are inherited independently and don't predict other biological features.
- Human genetic variation is widely shared across the species, with little variation between racially defined groups.
Selective Sweeps
- A selective sweep occurs when a beneficial mutation increases frequency in a population through natural selection.
- Hard selective sweeps involve strong selection for novel beneficial mutations in new environments.
- Polygenic adaptation involves multiple alleles already present in the population, each with a small effect, leading to adaptation.
Examples of Selective Sweeps
- Skin pigmentation
- Metabolic adaptation to cold climates
- Lactose tolerance
- Infectious disease susceptibility (e.g., malaria and the sickle allele)
- Adaptation to high altitude hypoxia
Direct-to-Consumer Genetic Ancestry Testing
- Tests compare an individual's haplogroups to the frequency of those haplogroups in reference populations.
- Haplogroups are groups of similar haplotypes sharing a common ancestor.
- Reference populations are chosen based on population substructure within a cline.
- The genetic clustering in a reference population depends on the individuals included in the database.
Concerns about Direct-to-Consumer Genetic Ancestry Testing
- Test results can be influenced by changes in the reference group data.
- Reference populations are defined based on social constructs, impacting how results are interpreted.
- The tests can reify biological notions of race or empower communities by shaping racial experience.
Racial Medicine
- Dr. Dorothy Roberts emphasizes the need to be cautious about using genomic information in healthcare, considering the history of race-based medicine.
Studying That Suits You
Use AI to generate personalized quizzes and flashcards to suit your learning preferences.
Related Documents
Description
This quiz delves into the distinctions between proximate and ultimate explanations in biology, focusing on human genetic variation and the implications of race as a genetic category. Explore concepts like clines, substructure, and the evolution of genetic diversity across geographical regions.
