Over a sufficient number of generations, inbred populations can regain "normal" genetic diversity.
But the Cereans have been away from Earth a long time, and they've developed some differences from the basic humanoid stock-a process called 'genetic drift' that's common in small, inbred populations.
The value for F is found by solving the equation for F using heterozygotes in the above inbred population.
Isle Royale, he said, would provide "an acid test for the notion that inbred populations are not viable."
Although there are several examples of inbred populations of wild animals, the negative consequences of this inbreeding are poorly documented.
However, because the increased proportion of deleterious homozygotes exposes the allele to natural selection, in the long run its frequency decreases more rapidly in inbred population.
Scientists believe they are dealing with a very inbred population, in which even a large number of animals could share identical or near identical haplotypes.
The unspoken fear in tiny rural towns with inbred populations is that one of their own might someday snap and start mowing down the neighbors.
The mutation sometimes occurs in the random-breeding population, particularly in inbred populations where recessive genes may be exhibited.
Even in an "inbred" population, the plants' genetic content can still vary slightly and might play a role.