founder effect
genetic drift that occurs after a small number of individuals colonize a new area
The founder effect is a phenomenon in which a small group of individuals establish a new population in a new geographic area, resulting in a change in the genetic makeup of the new population. The genetic makeup of the founder population is not representative of the overall genetic diversity of the original population, which can lead to the new population having a unique genetic composition that differs from the original population.
The founder effect can have important implications for evolutionary processes. The new population may be subject to genetic drift, which can lead to the fixation of certain alleles or traits that were present in the original population. The founder effect can also cause differences in the frequency of alleles between the founder population and the original population, which can result in divergent evolution.
The founder effect has been observed in many species, including humans. For example, certain populations of humans that were founded from relatively small groups of individuals, such as the Amish population in the United States, have a higher frequency of certain genetic disorders due to the founder effect. The founder effect has also been observed in animal populations, such as the Galapagos finches that were established from a small group of individuals on different islands in the Galapagos archipelago.
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