Small population size
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Small populations can behave differently from larger populations. They are often the result of population bottlenecks from larger populations, leading to loss of heterozygosity and reduced genetic div
Kākāpō
An elephant seal harem has 1 male to 100 females resulting in an effective population size of only 4.
Brown kiwi
Muller's ratchet
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In evolutionary genetics, Muller's ratchet is a process which, in the absence of recombination, results in an accumulation of irreversible deleterious mutations. That happens because in the absence of
Small population size
…extreme cases such as monomorphism, where there is only one form of the allele. Continued fixation of deleterious alleles in small populations is called Muller's ratchet, and can lead to mutational meltdown. Inbreeding: In a small population, closely related individuals are more likely to breed together. The offspring…
Illustration of chromosome crossover during genetic recombination