Population Bottleneck

Definition

Population bottleneck refers to an event that drastically reduces the size of a population, leading to decreased genetic diversity. This can occur due to natural disasters, disease outbreaks, or human activities such as hunting or habitat destruction.

Analogy

Picture a water bottle filled with marbles representing individuals in a population. Now imagine squeezing the bottle tightly so that only a few marbles can pass through at once. This represents the population bottleneck where only a small fraction survives and reproduces.

Related terms

Genetic Drift: Random changes in gene frequencies within populations over time.

Founder Effect: When a small group from a larger population establishes itself as separate from the main population.

Inbreeding Depression: Reduced fitness (health) resulting from mating between closely related individuals within a small population.