Founder effect

The founder effect is a way of explaining how new populations of animals or plants—that have arisen from just a few individuals—can be very different from their parents. It happens when a few individuals end up in a new area, either by accident or choice, and find themselves in an environment where there are not many other animals or plants. These few individuals then set down roots, reproduce, and grow in number over time. Because the population is so small, the genetic traits of these early members become more common in their descendants, which often makes them different from their original group. This can be good because it gives the new group a better chance to survive in their new environment, but it can also cause issues if the traits are not the right ones.