What effect does the bottleneck effect have on a population's genetic diversity?

The bottleneck effect occurs when a population experiences a significant reduction in size due to environmental events, such as natural disasters or human activities, leading to a sharp decrease in the number of individuals. This event typically results in a loss of genetic variation because only a small number of individuals contribute to the gene pool of the subsequent population. As a result, certain alleles may be lost entirely, and the genetic makeup of the remaining population may be less diverse than that of the original population.

Over time, this reduced genetic diversity can lead to inbreeding and decreased adaptability to environmental changes or disease, further compounding the issue. Therefore, the bottleneck effect is characterized by its role in diminishing a population's genetic diversity, which can have long-lasting evolutionary consequences.