Understanding Evolution: your one-stop source for information on evolution
Evolution 101 Table of Contents << previous | next >>  

Gene flow

Gene flow — also called migration — is any movement of genes from one population to another. Gene flow includes lots of different kinds of events, such as pollen being blown to a new destination or people moving to new cities or countries. If genes are carried to a population where those genes previously did not exist, gene flow can be a very important source of genetic variation. In the graphic below, the gene for brown coloration moves from one population to another.

Gene flow in beetle populations



previous
The causes of mutations


Take a Sidetrip
Read more about the details of gene flow.
next
Sex and genetic shuffling


printable version