Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

What is Population Genetics?

What is Population Genetics?

A population is composed of members of the same species that simultaneously live and interact in the same area. When individuals in a population breed, they pass down their genes to their offspring. Many of these genes are polymorphic, meaning that they occur in multiple variants. Such variations of a gene are referred to as alleles. The collective set of all the alleles within a population is known as the gene pool.While some alleles of a given gene might be observed commonly, other variants...

Gene Flow

Gene Flow

Gene flow is the transfer of genes among populations, resulting from either the dispersal of gametes or from the migration of individuals.

Mutation, Gene Flow, and Genetic Drift

Mutation, Gene Flow, and Genetic Drift

In a population that is not at Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, the frequency of alleles changes over time. Therefore, any deviations from the five conditions of Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium can alter the genetic variation of a given population. Conditions that change the genetic variability of a population include mutations, natural selection, non-random mating, gene flow, and genetic drift (small population size).Mechanisms of Genetic VariationThe original sources of genetic variation are mutations,...

Conservation of Small Populations

Conservation of Small Populations

Small population sizes put a species at extreme risk of extinction due to a lack of variation, and a consequent decrease in adaptability. This weakens the chances of survival under pressures such as climate change, competition from other species, or new diseases. Large populations are more likely to survive pressures such as these, as such populations are more likely to harbor individuals that have genetic variants that are adaptive under new stresses. Small populations are much less likely to...

What are Populations and Communities?

What are Populations and Communities?

Populations are groups of individuals of the same species that inhabit a shared environment. Communities include multiple co-existing, interacting populations of different species. Metapopulations span multiple populations of the same species that occupy different areas. Metapopulations interact through immigration and emigration, providing genetic diversity that lends resilience to harsh environments. Population size and density can be estimated using quadrat and mark and recapture...

Conservation of Declining Populations

Conservation of Declining Populations

Conservation of declining population focuses on ways of detecting, diagnosing, and halting a population decline. The approach uses methods to prevent populations from going extinct.

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Chronic tinnitus is quietened by sound therapy using a novel cross-frequency de-correlating stimulus modulation.

Hearing research·2025

Same author

Analysis of the outcomes of postdiverticulitis investigations: a multicentre cohort study including 1,120 patients.

Annals of the Royal College of Surgeons of England·2024

Same author

Evaluating the cost-effectiveness of polygenic risk score-stratified screening for abdominal aortic aneurysm.

Nature communications·2024

Same author

Low risk management intervention: Limited impact of remedial tillage on net ecosystem carbon balance at a commercial Miscanthus plantation.

Global change biology. Bioenergy·2024

Same author

The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on postnatal anxiety and posttraumatic stress: Analysis of two population-based national maternity surveys in England.

Journal of affective disorders·2024

Same author

The Nitrous Oxide Project: assessment of advocacy and national directives to deliver mitigation of anaesthetic nitrous oxide.

Anaesthesia·2024

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 5, 2026

Predicting the Effectiveness of Population Replacement Strategy Using Mathematical Modeling

Predicting the Effectiveness of Population Replacement Strategy Using Mathematical Modeling

Published on: July 4, 2007

Genetic and evolutionary consequences of metapopulation structure.

S Harrison¹, A Hastings

¹University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA.

Trends in Ecology & Evolution

|January 18, 2011

Summary

Population turnover from extinction and recolonization typically reduces genetic variation, hindering adaptive evolution through among-population selection. The impact of population subdivision on adaptation remains debated.

More Related Videos

Following the Dynamics of Structural Variants in Experimentally Evolved Populations

Following the Dynamics of Structural Variants in Experimentally Evolved Populations

Published on: February 3, 2023

Heuristic Mining of Hierarchical Genotypes and Accessory Genome Loci in Bacterial Populations

Heuristic Mining of Hierarchical Genotypes and Accessory Genome Loci in Bacterial Populations

Published on: December 7, 2021

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 5, 2026

Predicting the Effectiveness of Population Replacement Strategy Using Mathematical Modeling

Predicting the Effectiveness of Population Replacement Strategy Using Mathematical Modeling

Published on: July 4, 2007

Following the Dynamics of Structural Variants in Experimentally Evolved Populations

Following the Dynamics of Structural Variants in Experimentally Evolved Populations

Published on: February 3, 2023

Heuristic Mining of Hierarchical Genotypes and Accessory Genome Loci in Bacterial Populations

Heuristic Mining of Hierarchical Genotypes and Accessory Genome Loci in Bacterial Populations

Published on: December 7, 2021

Area of Science:

Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Population Genetics

Background:

Metapopulation dynamics involve recurrent extinction and colonization events.
Population turnover can influence genetic variation within and among populations.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the effects of population turnover on genetic variation.
To assess the implications of population subdivision for adaptive evolution.

Main Methods:

Theoretical modeling of metapopulation dynamics.
Analysis of genetic variation patterns under different turnover scenarios.

Main Results:

Population turnover is generally linked to reduced genetic variation among populations.
This reduction in variation makes adaptive evolution via among-population selection less likely.

Conclusions:

Recurrent extinction and recolonization may limit the potential for adaptation driven by selection between populations.
The net effect of population subdivision on adaptation, with or without turnover, is a complex theoretical question requiring further investigation.