Gene Flow

The gene flow is a popular and individual genetic material which transfers from one population to another. This involves different types of events such as pollen being driven to an entirely new destination or people migrating to a new place. If the versions of gene flow are carried to a population where the gene versions do not exist, it can be a major source of genetic variation. In the above image, the version of brown colouration shifts from one population to another.

Migration from one popular place to another is also responsible for a change in allele frequencies which covers a proportion of members to carry a particular variant of a gene. This immigration can also result in the addition of genetic variants to the established gene supply of one particular population.

Factors affecting Gene Flow

There are various factors that influence the gene flow among different populations. One of the significant factors is mobility. The higher the mobility of an individual, the greater its migrating potential. The animals tend to be more mobile than plants, although seeds and pollen can be carried to longer distances by wind and animals.

Constant gene flow between two populations can also lead to a combination of two gene pools, minimizing the genetic differentiation between two different groups. This is due to the fact that gene flow acts firmly against speciation by combining the group’s gene pools and resolving the differences in genetic variation that would lead to complete speciation and development of smaller or new species.

For example, when a grass species grow on either side of a highway, the pollen is likely to be migrated from one side to another. In case, this pollen is capable of fertilizing the plant where it terminates and forms viable offspring, then the alleles in the pollen have the ability to shift from the population on either side of the highway and then to another.

To learn more about the gene flow, visit BYJU’S.