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Genetic variance is influenced by genetic mutation, elimination of recessive traits, and gene pool size. Alleles can be dominant or recessive, and mutations can be beneficial or harmful. Inbreeding reduces genetic variance. Variance allows species to adapt and dominant traits to become more successful.
Genetic variance is the result of several factors, which lead to the evolution of a species. It is influenced by several main criteria, including the genetic mutation, the genetic elimination of recessive characteristics and the addition of dominant ones, and the size of the available gene pool. Genetic variance can cause observable or phenotypic differences in species, leading to explanations for things like blood type, skin color, and size.
In humans and similar organisms, the genetic code contains one pair of each type of gene. The two components, called alleles, can be identical or different from each other and are often characterized as dominant or recessive. For example, if a person has brown eyes, he or she has at least one allele that causes brown eyes, because brown eye color is a dominant trait. Because blue eyes are a recessive trait, a person with blue eyes has the same alleles that cause blue eyes.
While this seems somewhat simple, the science of genetic variance quickly becomes more complex. Some alleles are neither dominant nor recessive and can combine to create a new hybrid in the next generation. In some flowers, crossing a red flower with a white flower can result in a red or white flower, or it can result in a pink or streaked hybrid. In cats, several differently colored kittens may be born in the same litter, directly affected by genetic variance.
Variance can also be caused by genetic mutations. If a parent’s genes are altered by an external force, such as radiation or a virus, it can add a new element to the next generation’s gene pool. Mutations can be beneficial to the survival of the species, such as a change in color that makes a species harder for predators to see. In this case, the survival rate of the mutated creatures may increase, making them the dominant faction of the population. Natural selection can also eliminate negative traits, lowering the survival rate or shortening the lifespan of a mutated genetic carrier.
The size of the gene pool can seriously affect genetic variance, preventing unwanted traits from being eliminated from a community while those with similar genetic codes are reproduced. A population forced to reproduce with close relatives can reduce the amount of genetic variance, often causing recessive or undesirable characteristics to grow over time, as the carriers of a particular gene continue to reproduce. More than any social or cultural construct, it is for evolutionary purposes that it is unwise to mate with close relatives.
Genetic variance is what allows species to adapt over time. Whether through combinations of genes in offspring or mutations, strong survivalist traits will tend to become more dominant in a population. Alterations at the phenotypic levels of physical traits, inherited behavior or other observable characteristics can have a huge effect on how well a species survives in its environment. In general, the larger the gene pool, the more successful the population, as genetic variance will eliminate poor survivalist traits and give dominance to the more successful ones.
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