gene flow

noun

, Ecology.

1. the alteration of the frequencies of alleles of particular genes in a population, resulting from interbreeding with organisms from another population having different frequencies.

gene flow

noun

1. the movement and exchange of genes between interbreeding populations

Word History and Origins

Origin of gene flow¹

First recorded in 1945–50

Example Sentences

Scientists and conservationists say this wildlife passage will also be crucial to restoring gene flow among small, isolated populations of cougars trapped south of the freeway in the Santa Monica Mountains, and cougars confined to the north in the Simi Hills and Santa Susana Mountains.

From Los Angeles Times

Female hybrids could therefore be a source of continuous gene flow, which in the long term could lead to the emergence of hybrid species.

From Science Daily

Noting that “race science requires evidence from the past to elevate race as a biological concept,” she urged anthropologists to depict gene flow over time in ways that don’t emphasize branches as endpoints—perhaps, instead, as a braided stream with channels intersecting at some times, diverging at others.

From Science Magazine

This suggests that recolonization of A. cauliformis after the hurricanes was largely due to sexual reproduction, with gene flow across distances up to 60 kilometers, between St. Croix and Buck Island in St. Thomas, detected among the study sites.

From Science Daily

A comprehensive genetic analysis revealed recent gene flow between all sample sites -- possibly within just a few generations -- suggesting that coral larvae may be frequently transferred between different populations.

From Science Daily