Population Genetics
📋 What it is
Population genetics studies how gene versions spread or fade across a whole population over time.
🗣️ Coach says
Zoom out from one family to a whole population, and you can track how common each gene version is — and how that shifts over generations. Selection, migration, and chance all change the mix. This is evolution seen through math: the changing frequency of genes in a group.
🧠 Memory hook
Population genetics = how common each gene is in a group, and how it shifts over time.
😂 Giggle
Why do chromosomes make great friends?
They always come in pairs!
😲 Whoa!
The gene version that causes lactose tolerance was rare a few thousand years ago but is now common in many populations — evolution you can measure.
✅ Quick check: What does population genetics track that individual genetics does not?
Say your answer out loud first — then reveal.
How common each gene version is across a WHOLE population, and how those frequencies change over generations.
Population genetics studies gene frequencies in groups, not just individuals.
🧪 Try it! (2 minutes)
Imagine a trait spreading in a group over 10 generations. What could make it MORE common? (It helps survival.)