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Founder effect

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The founder effect is the reduction in genetic variation that results when a small subset of a large population is used to establish a new colony. The new population may be very different from the original population, both in terms of its genotypes and phenotypes. In some cases, the founder effect plays a role in the emergence of new species.

The term genetic drift is also used. Many people regard the two terms as synonymous.

Further reading

  • Bottlenecks and founder effects. Understanding evolution website from the University of California Museum of Paleontology.
  • Pomery C. Divided by the Pond: why genetic drift means US results can't pinpoint the origin of a British surname. Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter, Plus Edition, 23 September 2009. Available as a reprint in the May 2010 issue of the Phillips DNA Project's newsletter (pp6-9).
  • Ann Gibbons. Life on the fertile frontier. Science 4 November 2011 Vol 334 (6056): 582.

Scientific papers

Blog posts

See also

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This article uses material in the public domain from the Talking Glossary of Genetic Terms and is reproduced courtesy of the National Human Genome Research Institute.