Subject: Re: NANFA-L-- Review of Suckers in North America
From: Irate Mormon (archimedes at bayspringstel.net)
Date: Tue Oct 12 2004 - 18:15:23 CDT
Quoting "dlmcneely at lunet.edu" <dlmcneely at lunet.edu>:
> There are several measures of genetic diversity, all of which depend on some
> sort of genetic analysis of individuals. This gets pretty technical, but one
> way involves determining enzyme variability across individuals using a
> technique called protein electrophoresis. Populations with more enzyme
> morphs are more variable so far as the gene for that enzyme is concerned than
> are populations with fewer morphs.
I understand. Genes code for proteins, therefore the more proteins you can
count, the more different genes are present within the sample.
> And yes, data do demostrate that populations with greater genetic diversity
> pass through selection events more successfully than do populations that are
> less diverse. That is the tragedy of the monoculture. When a blight hit
> U.S. corn crops in the late 1970s early 1980s, almost all the feed corn grown
> here was of one strain, selected for high seed yield. The U.S. contribution
> to feed corn production tanked, and beef and pork prices both escalated. But
> the industries recovered eventually because other corn strains did exist.
> The few farms growing old, open pollinated corn did better than others.
Mm, this probably isn't a really good example, since you are starting with an
organism which has undergone extensive selection for a certain set of traits. I
am really looking for data that correlates genetic diversity in diverse
populaitons with survivability.
--Irate
Where am I going? And why am I in this handbasket?
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: Fri Dec 31 2004 - 11:27:45 CST