ANTH 011 Lecture Notes - Lecture 12: Human Skin Color, Quantitative Genetics, Zygosity
5 Aug 2020
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Document Summary
New variation in a population is produced by mutation or introduced by gene flow. Natural selection acts on this variation once it is present. Natural selection does not produce desired mutations // acts on the randomly produced mutations once they are already there. Mutation alters structure of red blood cells // distorts shape // reduces ability to carry oxygen // inherited from parents // they do not reproduce // good candidate to be eliminated by natural selection // heterozygous recessive. Higher prevalence in areas with malaria// heterozygous individuals are more resistant to malaria parasite than normal individuals. Many genes combine to produce a single phenotypic feature. A particular phenotypic feature may be the product of multiple genes. Determined by a few major genes + additional minor genes + environmental input. Not clear: how many genes are involved // whether the same genes produce similar colored skin in distantly related populations.
