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In evolutionary genetics, mutational meltdown is a sub class of extinction vortex in which the environment and genetic predisposition mutually reinforce each other.[1] Mutational meltdown (not to be confused with the concept of an error catastrophe[2]) is the accumulation of harmful mutations in a small population, which leads to loss of fitness and decline of the population size, which may lead to further accumulation of deleterious mutations due to fixation by genetic drift.
A population experiencing mutational meltdown is trapped in a downward spiral and will go extinct if the phenomenon lasts for some time. Usually, the deleterious mutations would simply be selected away, but during a mutational meltdown, the number of individuals not reproducing (e.g. by suffering an early death) is too large relative to the overall population size so that mortality exceeds the birth rate.
^Camille Coron; Sylvie Méléard; Emmanuelle Porcher; Alexandre Robert (May 2013). "Quantifying the Mutational Meltdown in Diploid Populations". The American Naturalist. 181 (5). doi:10.1086/670022.
^Eigen, M (15 October 2002). "Error catastrophe and antiviral strategy" (PDF). Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 99 (21): 13374–6. Bibcode:2002PNAS...9913374E. doi:10.1073/pnas.212514799. PMC 129678. PMID 12370416.
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mutationalmeltdown is a sub class of extinction vortex in which the environment and genetic predisposition mutually reinforce each other. Mutational...
the accumulation of mutation load, culminating in extinction via mutationalmeltdown. The accumulation of deleterious mutations in humans has been of...
listed as "Vulnerable" by the IUCN Red List. Conservation genetics Mutationalmeltdown Small population size Extinction vortex Extinction debt Extinctions...
population density. Error catastrophe Error threshold Muller's ratchet Mutationalmeltdown Population dynamics Small population size Gilpin, M. E.; Soulé, M...
Habitat destruction Human impact on the environment Muller's ratchet Mutationalmeltdown Overabundant species Overexploitation Overshoot Paradox of enrichment...
Habitat destruction Human impact on the environment Muller's ratchet Mutationalmeltdown Overabundant species Overexploitation Overshoot Paradox of enrichment...
genetic drift. For example, smaller populations with heavy mutational input (high rates of mutation) are prone to increases of genetic variation which lead...
in small populations is called Muller's ratchet, and can lead to mutationalmeltdown. Inbreeding: In a small population, closely related individuals are...
Habitat destruction Human impact on the environment Muller's ratchet Mutationalmeltdown Overabundant species Overexploitation Overshoot Paradox of enrichment...
Habitat destruction Human impact on the environment Muller's ratchet Mutationalmeltdown Overabundant species Overexploitation Overshoot Paradox of enrichment...
Habitat destruction Human impact on the environment Muller's ratchet Mutationalmeltdown Overabundant species Overexploitation Overshoot Paradox of enrichment...
Habitat destruction Human impact on the environment Muller's ratchet Mutationalmeltdown Overabundant species Overexploitation Overshoot Paradox of enrichment...
Habitat destruction Human impact on the environment Muller's ratchet Mutationalmeltdown Overabundant species Overexploitation Overshoot Paradox of enrichment...
Habitat destruction Human impact on the environment Muller's ratchet Mutationalmeltdown Overabundant species Overexploitation Overshoot Paradox of enrichment...
Habitat destruction Human impact on the environment Muller's ratchet Mutationalmeltdown Overabundant species Overexploitation Overshoot Paradox of enrichment...
Habitat destruction Human impact on the environment Muller's ratchet Mutationalmeltdown Overabundant species Overexploitation Overshoot Paradox of enrichment...
deleterious mutations to fix in small populations; the resulting positive feedback loop between small population size and low fitness can cause mutational meltdown...
Habitat destruction Human impact on the environment Muller's ratchet Mutationalmeltdown Overabundant species Overexploitation Overshoot Paradox of enrichment...
Habitat destruction Human impact on the environment Muller's ratchet Mutationalmeltdown Overabundant species Overexploitation Overshoot Paradox of enrichment...
Habitat destruction Human impact on the environment Muller's ratchet Mutationalmeltdown Overabundant species Overexploitation Overshoot Paradox of enrichment...
Habitat destruction Human impact on the environment Muller's ratchet Mutationalmeltdown Overabundant species Overexploitation Overshoot Paradox of enrichment...
Habitat destruction Human impact on the environment Muller's ratchet Mutationalmeltdown Overabundant species Overexploitation Overshoot Paradox of enrichment...
Habitat destruction Human impact on the environment Muller's ratchet Mutationalmeltdown Overabundant species Overexploitation Overshoot Paradox of enrichment...
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