Summary Of Blanding's Turtles

Genetic variation is necessary for evolutionary change, and refers to the differences in the composition of genes in a gene pool; examining the possible genetic variation found within populations of Blanding’s Turtles may provide meaningful insights into biology, such as being able to understand both the importance and patterns of evolution and population genetics. Without genetic variation, a loss of heterozygosity would occur, which may result in the sustainability of undesirable genes, an absence of both gradual and adaptive evolution in response to a changing environment, and eventually, extinction.
Blanding’s Turtles are found throughout the Great Lakes and along the East Coast of North America. By analyzing the frequency of individual