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There's no bright-line "minimum viable population" above the trivial answer of 2. You'll see people suggest numbers anywhere from a couple thousand down, but th
by AlotOfReading 4y ago
There's no bright-line "minimum viable population" above the trivial answer of 2. You'll see people suggest numbers anywhere from a couple thousand down, but these don't mean that rebuilding a population is impossible, just that there will be severe effects. We've observed populations of as few as two individuals go on to become invasive, wildly successful populations when introduced to new habitats.
- Asraelite 4y ago> We've observed populations as few as two individuals go on to become invasive, wildly successful populations That sounds fascinating. What species?
- AlotOfReading 4y agoThat particular case was Pinta Island in the Galapagos, where a breeding pair of goats was introduced in 1959. The population eventually reached a peak of 41,000 before a long and ultimately successful eradication campaign eliminated them.