What is one consequence of a small founder population in terms of genetic diversity?

What is one consequence of a small founder population in terms of genetic diversity?

• A. Increased genetic diversity compared to the original population
• B. Significant loss of genetic variation compared to the original population
• C. Maintenance of all alleles present in the larger population
• D. Complete uniformity in genetic traits

Answer: (B)

A small founder population typically establishes a new population with a limited number of individuals, which leads to a reduced representation of the overall genetic diversity found in the original, larger population. This situation is known as the founder effect, where certain alleles may be overrepresented or underrepresented purely due to the chance selection of the founding individuals. As a result, there is often a significant loss of genetic variation compared to the original population, which can hinder the population's ability to adapt to environmental changes and may also lead to increased susceptibility to diseases or other adverse effects. This change illustrates how the genetic diversity is not only influenced by the number of individuals but also by the genetic makeup of those founding individuals.

A small founder population typically establishes a new population with a limited number of individuals, which leads to a reduced representation of the overall genetic diversity found in the original, larger population. This situation is known as the founder effect, where certain alleles may be overrepresented or underrepresented purely due to the chance selection of the founding individuals. As a result, there is often a significant loss of genetic variation compared to the original population, which can hinder the population's ability to adapt to environmental changes and may also lead to increased susceptibility to diseases or other adverse effects. This change illustrates how the genetic diversity is not only influenced by the number of individuals but also by the genetic makeup of those founding individuals.