保护Iris lacustris (伊丽丝矮湖) 的遗传学,这是一个大湖息地

Speciation is the evolutionary process resulting in the formation of new, distinct species—groups of reproductively isolated 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...

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

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.

Overview

Natural selection—probably the most well-known evolutionary mechanism—increases the prevalence of traits that enhance survival and reproduction. However, evolution does not merely propagate favorable traits, nor does it always benefit populations.