gene flow

American  

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.

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gene flow British  

noun

1. the movement and exchange of genes between interbreeding populations

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Etymology

Origin of gene flow

First recorded in 1945–50

Compare meaning

How does gene-flow compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• gene flow vs. genetic drift

Example Sentences

Officials in the report note that most of the lion groups proposed for listing are contending with a lack of gene flow because urban barriers keep them from reaching one another.

From Los Angeles Times

The research, published on November 24 in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, indicates that this subtle gene flow may help dogs succeed in many different human environments.

From Science Daily

"We don't count that as invasion, but we are directly facilitating that. I'm hitting this note because it very much underlies our idea of invasion and gene flow, how genetics moves around and what it means to point to an organism and say it belongs to a certain species."

From Salon

That strategy, called assisted gene flow, can be accomplished by planting seeds or seedlings, or by relocating mature trees, he said.

From Los Angeles Times

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