- Low genetic diversity: Founder effect can lead to a population with lower genetic diversity than the parent population, as only a small subset of individuals is involved in the founding of a new population. This leads to a higher level of inbreeding and reduced genetic variation, which can hurt a population's ability to adapt to its environment.
- Increased risk of extinction: A small founding population is more prone to extinction than a massive population due to several factors, including increased inbreeding, reduced genetic variation, and a limited supply of resources. Inbreeding can lead to the expression of harmful traits due to the pairing of similar genetic material.
- Evolutionary divergence: Founder effect can initiate the process of evolutionary divergence between the founded population and the parent population. Over time, the founded population may experience different selection pressures and adapt independently, leading to variations in genetic traits and potential speciation events.
- Rapid adaptation: In certain circumstances, founder effect can lead to rapid adaptation. When a small population experiences a new and different environment, there may be strong selection pressures for certain traits that help individuals survive in the new conditions. This can result in rapid changes in allele frequencies and the evolution of new traits.
- Genetic disorders: Founder effect can result in a higher incidence of particular genetic disorders within a population due to the increased likelihood of individuals carrying the same deleterious alleles. If harmful alleles are present in the founding population, they are more likely to become widespread and affect a substantial proportion of the population.