What is the Bottleneck Effect?

The Bottleneck Effect refers to a significant reduction in the size of a population due to environmental events, such as natural disasters or human activities, leading to a dramatic decrease in genetic diversity. When a population becomes greatly reduced, such as when only a few individuals survive, the genetic variation within that population becomes limited to the alleles present in those few survivors. As a result, the genetic pool is diminished, which can lead to inbreeding and a decreased ability of the population to adapt to environmental changes. This reduction in the diversity of alleles affects the overall genetic health of the population, making them more vulnerable to diseases and reducing their chances of survival over time. Therefore, understanding the Bottleneck Effect is essential in population genetics and conservation biology, as it illustrates how catastrophic events can have lasting impacts on genetic variation.