A very small population of a species faces a greater threat of extinction than a larger population. Provide a suitable genetic explanation
A small population of a species faces a greater threat of extinction than a larger population. Following are some genetic explanation for this:
(a) Inbreeding: A small population promotes inbreeding. This results in least number of variations being incorporated in subsequent generations.
(b) Genetic drift: A small population is more exposed to sudden changes in the environment. The genetic drift because of sudden changes has the potential to wipe off the entire population.
(c) Inbreeding depression is another major problem of small population. This results in negative population growth which is further detrimental to the survival of the species.
