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Genetic pollution is a term for uncontrolled [1] [2] gene flow into wild populations. It is defined as "the dispersal of contaminated altered genes from genetically engineered organisms to natural organisms, esp. by cross-pollination", [ 3 ] but has come to be used in some broader ways.
Genetic erosion in agricultural and livestock is the loss of biological genetic diversity – including the loss of individual genes, and the loss of particular recombinants of genes (or gene complexes) – such as those manifested in locally adapted landraces of domesticated animals or plants that have become adapted to the natural environment in which they originated.
The level of gene flow among populations can be estimated by observing the dispersal of individuals and recording their reproductive success. [4] [11] This direct method is only suitable for some types of organisms, more often indirect methods are used that infer gene flow by comparing allele frequencies among population samples.
In population genetics, fixation is the change in a gene pool from a situation where there exists at least two variants of a particular gene in a given population to a situation where only one of the alleles remains. That is, the allele becomes fixed. [1]
Genetic rescue has the possibility of actually lowering the fitness of a population by swamping the population or increasing rare deleterious alleles. [10] This instance may simply be termed genetic pollution instead of being referred to genetic rescue. Rescue may also only be a short-term solution, as shown by the case of the Isle Royale Wolves.
It is an epigenetic process that involves DNA methylation and histone methylation without altering the genetic sequence. These epigenetic marks are established ("imprinted") in the germline (sperm or egg cells) of the parents and are maintained through mitotic cell divisions in the somatic cells of an organism.
Genetic architecture is an overall explanation of all the genetic factors that play a role in a complex trait and exists as the core foundation of quantitative genetics. With the use of mathematical models and statistical analysis, like GWAS, researchers can determine the number of genes affecting a trait as well as the level of influence each ...
A large gene pool indicates extensive genetic diversity, which is associated with robust populations that can survive bouts of intense selection.Meanwhile, low genetic diversity (see inbreeding and population bottlenecks) can cause reduced biological fitness and an increased chance of extinction, although as explained by genetic drift new genetic variants, that may cause an increase in the ...