Population Movements and Genetics Reading Answers

The Reading portion of the IELTS is extremely important in your success on the exam. It tests your ability to read a course textbook, skim a text for general ideas, scan a text for specific information, and evaluate the writer's attitude and logic.

If you choose self-study to help you improve your experience in the IELTS Reading portion, we would suggest using IELTS reading passages from which to practice. 

The following is a long IELTS Reading practice passage transcribed "Beyond the Blue Horizon," with reading answers along with proposed questions and answer explanations that will help you prepare for the IELTS exam.

Population Movements and Genetics IELTS Reading Passage

Paragraph A

The origins and distributions of human populations are studied using archaeological and fossil evidence. Since the late 1950s, many techniques are now more formal and objective in methodology. Information about how early populations moved around is now found by ‘archaeology of the living body’ for which the clues are in the biological materials of individuals. 

Paragraph B

In general, the value of biological anthropological techniques will be established in the current work on questions about when people lived in America, for example, early research established that human colonisers of the New World launched from North-east Asia or Siberia, with a mass migration across the Bering Strait into the Americas. In terms of new information, there are fresh clues from an inquiry into genetics, which includes studying genetic markers in contemporary Native Americans. 

Paragraph C

Biological Anthropologist Robert Williams identified one type of protein (immunoglobulin G) in the plasma in the blood. Other proteins produce variants and when members of a single interbreeding population share separate variant sets. If there are different populations measured on the basis of their Gm allotypes, then one can measure their genetic distance. This relates to how long ago two populations diverged from a common ancestor.

Paragraph D

During a time period of twenty years Williams and others obtained the sample of greater than 5,000 American Indians located in Western North America. GM allotypes can be separated into two groups, one of them being a genetic typing of Central and South American Indians. Other evidence claimed that the Aleut3 and Inuit made a third group. Ultimately, there were at least three migration events that occurred across the Bering Strait. (Which seems insignificant but data suggest that the most recent of these migrations may have occurred about 600 or 700 years ago.) The first is suggested to have occurred approximately 10,000 or 9,000 years ago; this was the migration from North-east Asia of groups that were ancestors of the modern Eskimo and Aleut.

Paragraph E

How much other evidence supports these conclusions? A geneticist, Douglas Wallace, collected mitochondrial DNA4 in blood samples from three independent Native American Groups. The Arizona Pima-Papago Indians, Maya Indians of the Yucatan Peninsula Mexico, and Ticuna Indians in the upper region of Brazil. Consistent with Robert Williamson's representations, it would seem that all three groups are carrying a common ancestor, the Paleo-indian populations.

Paragraph F

Other lines of research also shed a little light on the origins of the Native American population. They involve the study of language and of teeth. Biological anthropologist Christy Turner specializes in studying changes in human teeth characteristics over time. According to Turner, tooth crowns and roots have a strong genetic component and are only minimally influenced by environmental and other factors. Turner has examined many thousands of new and old world specimens, both modern and ancient, and finds that most prehistoric Americans exhibit connections to northern Asian populations via root and crown traits like incisor shovelling (scooping out on one or both surfaces of the tooth), triple-rooted lower first molars and single-rooted upper first premolars, to name but a few.

Paragraph G

Turner relates this to his argument for a single Paleo-Indian migration from North Asia using calibrated rates of dental micro-evolutionary change that he claims for before 14,000 years ago. The dental morphology analysis suggests there were two later migrations of Eskimo-Aleut and Na-Denes.

Paragraph H

Joseph Greenberg, a linguist, has maintained since the 1950s that all the Native American languages are a single "Amerind" family of languages, except Na-Dene and Eskimo-Aleut, a position that would support the idea of three major migrations. Among other linguists, Greenberg is in the minority, because they are more in support of the idea of many waves of migration which would account for the astounding number of languages spoken by American Indians at one time (1000+). Greenberg's perspective is well-supported by recent genetic and dental data. However, the dates that are associated with the migrations should be dealt with cautiously and excluded wherever uncompromised archaeological data supports the contrary.

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Population Movements and Menetics Reading Answers :Question 1-7

Answer the following questions below. Do not choose MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the passage for each answer.

Q1. Where from the clues on early population movements was taken by ?

Q2. What protein Robert Williams found in the form of fluid in the blood ?

Q3. What could be determined by comparing the Gm allotypes of two different populations ?

Q4. How many groups are there in GM allotypes ?

Q5. Who studied mitochondrial DNA4 from three different Native American Groups’ blood samples ?

Q6. Which study throws a light on origins of the Native American Population other than study of languages ?

Q7. Who is an expert in analysing changing physical characteristics of human teeth ?

(Refer to the end for answers along with their explanations)

population movements and genetics answers :Question 8-13

Complete the summary below.

Do not write MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for each answer.

From the 8______, numerous techniques have been used which are more objective to study the fossil evidence. Information about early population movements now obtained by '9____ of the living body', the clues are taken from the genetic material. Modern 10_______, new clues have been derived from the research into genetics which includes the genetic 11______. Biological Anthropologist 12_______ found one particular protein (immunoglobulin G) in the form of fluid in the blood. One can determine their genetic distance by comparing the 13_______ of two different populations.

(Refer to the end for answers along with their explanations)

Designated Answers with Explanations

Here are answers of each questions with their explanations for better understanding:

Answer to Q1. Genetic material

Explanation: Information about early migration patterns of a population, now has started to be available from the 'archaeological record of the living body', which is genetic material.

Answer to Q2. Immunoglobulin G

Explanation: Biological Anthropologist Robert Williams, has found a particular protein (immunoglobulin G) has a liquid form in the blood.

Answer to Q3. Genetic distance

Explanation: The genetic distance of one population compared to another can be determined comparing the Gm allotypes between two different populations. This shows how long it takes. 

Answer to Q4. Two groups

Explanation: The Gm allotypes can be segregated in two groups, one of them corresponds to the genetic typing of the Central and South American Indians.

Answer to Q5. Douglas Wallace

Explanation: Douglas Wallace is a geneticist who examined mitochondrial DNA (the DNA passed on from mother to child) using blood samples from three discrete groups of Native Americans.

Answer to Q6. Study of teeth

Explanation: There are also two other forms of studies that tell us something of the origin of Native American populations. These are the study of teeth and the study of languages.

Answer to Q7. Christy Turner

Explanation: There was biological anthropologist Christy Turner, who specialized in researching the evolutionary changes in the morphology of human teeth.

Answer to Q8. 1950s

Explanation: Starting from the 1950's, there has been a variety of methods for determining biological objective reality using and analyzing the curvature in teeth. 

Answer to Q9. Archaeology

Explanation: Information about early population and movements is increasingly coming from what is now termed the 'archaeology of the living body', where the genetic material is acting as the clues to a beginning point. 

Answer to Q10. Native Americans

Explanation: The answer is found in Paragraph B when it mentions that new leads in genetics, including genetic markers have been gained from research into present day Native Americans, implying that the source of these clues in genetics are the present day Native Americans.

Answer to Q11. Markers

Explanation: New clues have also come out of research into the genetic markers in modern Native Americans, who seem to remain more genetically similar to precontact populations.

Answer to Q12. Robert Williams

Explanation: Biological anthropologist Robert Williams was able to find one specific protein (immunoglobulin G) in liquid form (i.e., fluid) in blood.

Answer of Q13. Gm allotypes

Explanation: You can estimate genetic distance by looking at the Gm allotypes in two different populations and see how far apart they are; this is information on the timeline.

Conclusion

Learning about ancient migrations of humans and the genetic patterns we see today can provide a unique perspective on our common past. This IELTS Reading practice test for Population Movements and Genetics is a great resource for exam takers looking to improve their understanding, scanning, and analysis skills, which is vital in preparing for the IELTS.

By reviewing the Population Movements and Genetics reading answers, you will not only be able to learn the best methods for answering different question types, but also become accustomed to the use of academic language and structure. 

You can use this reading to practice your reading technique and enhance your ability to read and interpret scientific documents, which is commonly assessed in the IELTS Academic.

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