Which term describes the process where a small sample of individuals starts a new population?

The term that describes the scenario where a small sample of individuals establishes a new population is the founder effect. This concept is crucial in understanding how genetic diversity can be influenced by the initial gene pool of the founding individuals.

When a small group breaks away from a larger population to form a new one, the genetic variability of that new population is often limited to just those founders. As a result, certain traits may become more pronounced if they were present in higher frequencies among the founders. This effect can lead to significant differences in allele frequencies between the new population and the original one over time.

This process is essential in evolutionary biology as it can contribute to the development of new species and the divergence of populations, especially when coupled with isolation and different environmental pressures. The founder effect is a critical mechanism in the study of population genetics and can have long-lasting impacts on the evolution of species.