4.4.1 Genetic Diversity

Importance of Genetic Diversity

• Greater genetic diversity increases the chance of survival if there are environmental changes.
• Populations with a wider range of alleles have a higher likelihood of including individuals with advantageous traits for survival.

Role of the Niche

• A niche: The role or function a species has within its environment, including its interactions with other species and its habitat.
• Species with overlapping niches compete, and the better-adapted species outcompetes others.

Natural Selection

• Natural selection is the process where individuals with favourable characteristics are more likely to:
  1. Survive in their environment.
  2. Reproduce and pass on their advantageous alleles to the next generation.
• This leads to a higher frequency of beneficial alleles over time.

Link Between Genetic Diversity and Evolution

• Evolution: The change in allele frequencies in a population's gene pool over time.
• Natural selection drives evolution by increasing the prevalence of advantageous traits.