ANTH 011 Lecture Notes - Lecture 30: Phenylalanine, Biological Anthropology, Parental Investment

• School: College of The Sequoias
• Department: Anthropology (ANTH)
• Course: ANTH 011
• Professor: Allen

Document Summary

Qualitative variation- phenotypic variation that can be characterized as belonging to discrete, observable categories. Quantitative variation- phenotypic variation that is characterized by the distribution of continuous variation (expressed using a numerical measure) within a population. Ex: seed color in peas (green or yellow) Refers to continuous variation for some trait, which emerges after we measure a character in a population of individuals. Normal (bell-shaped) distribution in the individual expression of the character. Polygenic traits- phenotypic traits that result from the combined action of more than one gene; most complex traits are polygenic. Expression depends on the action of multiple genes, each of which may have more than one allele. Ex: stature in humans, timing of puberty, skin color, eye color. Pleiotropy- the phenomenon of a single gene having multiple phenotypic expressions. Phenotypes, especially complex phenotypes, tend to be the result of an interaction between the genotype and the environment.