Why are the gene pools of small populations reduced compared to those of larger populations?

Question

1. lack of suitable mates
2. inbreeding
3. lack of advantageous traits
4. bottleneck events

Answer 1

The gene pools of small populations are reduced compared to those of larger populations primarily due to the following factors:

1. Lack of suitable mates - In small populations, the number of potential mates is limited, which can restrict genetic diversity and lead to reduced gene flow.

2. Inbreeding - Small populations are more vulnerable to inbreeding, where closely related individuals mate. This can lead to an increase in homozygosity for deleterious alleles and a decrease in genetic diversity.

3. Lack of advantageous traits - Smaller populations may have a lower chance of having a wide range of advantageous traits present simply due to the smaller sample size of individuals.

4. Bottleneck events - If a population goes through a bottleneck event (a significant reduction in size due to environmental events or other pressures), the genetic diversity can be drastically reduced as only a few individuals contribute to the gene pool for future generations.

All of these factors contribute to the reduced gene pools in small populations, with inbreeding and bottleneck events being particularly critical in genetic diversity loss.