The founder effect is a phenomenon in population genetics that occurs when a new population is established by a very small number of individuals from a larger population. This can result in the loss of genetic variation, as the new population may have less genetic diversity than the original population. The founder effect can also result in a non-random sample of the genes in the original population.
Some key points about the founder effect include:
- The founder effect is a type of genetic drift, which is the random fluctuation of allele frequencies in a population.
- The founder effect can occur when a small group of individuals separates from the rest of the species.
- The founder effect can explain why certain inherited diseases are found more frequently in some limited population groups.
- The founder effect can also play a role in the emergence of new species.
Examples of the founder effect include the Afrikaner population of Dutch settlers in South Africa, who have an unusually high frequency of the gene that causes Huntington’s disease, and the Amish community, who have a higher concentration of genetically inherited diseases due to their tendency to marry within their own community.
