Founder effect
Founder effect
The Founder effect (pronounced: /ˈfaʊndər ɪˈfekt/) is a concept in genetics that refers to the loss of genetic variation that occurs when a new population is established by a very small number of individuals from a larger population.
Etymology
The term "Founder effect" was first coined in 1952 by Ernst Mayr, a German-American evolutionary biologist. The term "founder" refers to the individuals who establish the new population, while "effect" refers to the impact this has on the genetic variation within the population.
Explanation
In the Founder effect, the new population may be very different genetically from the original population, due to the small number of individuals involved. This can lead to a higher frequency of certain genetic traits in the new population, which may not be representative of the original population. This effect is a type of genetic drift, a mechanism of evolution.
Related Terms
- Genetic drift: A mechanism of evolution that causes random changes in the frequency of genetic traits in a population.
- Population genetics: The study of genetic variation within populations, and involves the examination and modelling of changes in the frequencies of genes and alleles in populations over time.
- Bottleneck effect: A similar concept to the Founder effect, where a population's size is reduced for at least one generation, leading to a loss of genetic variation.
See Also
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Founder effect
- Wikipedia's article - Founder effect
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