A type of genetic drift that occurs when a new population is established by a small group of individuals from a larger population. The founding population carries only a subset of the genetic variation from the original population.
Named after the 'founders' who establish new populations, from Old French 'fondeur' meaning 'one who establishes'. The term was coined by Ernst Mayr in 1942 to describe how new populations start with limited genetic diversity based on their founding members.
Try Another Word