evolutionary genetics

What is evolutionary genetics?

Evolutionary genetics is a field of study that combines principles from evolutionary biology and genetics to understand and explain the processes of evolution. It explores how genetic variation changes over time within populations and how this variation leads to the emergence of new species.

Evolutionary genetics investigates various genetic mechanisms, such as mutations, recombination, genetic drift, gene flow, and natural selection, to study the patterns and processes of evolution. By studying the genetic basis of traits and their inheritance patterns, evolutionary geneticists aim to understand how organisms adapt and evolve in response to their environment.

This field has been instrumental in unraveling many fundamental concepts in evolutionary biology, including speciation, phylogenetics, population genetics, molecular evolution, and the role of genes in shaping phenotypic diversity. It also has practical applications in fields like medicine (e.g., understanding the genetic basis of diseases) and conservation (e.g., studying genetic diversity in endangered species).