Quote:
Originally Posted by Larry Jacks
My thinking is that more genetic diversity tends to be better for a species. Incidents like the Irish potato famine show that monoculture is a Bad Thing. And greater genetic diversity means more evolutionary paths are pursued, possibly leading to more advantageous traits emerging in the population.
Genetic diversity can result in what is sometimes called "hybrid vigor." An example that is sometime cited is that mixed breed dogs (good old mutts) often have less genetic problems than pure breeds.
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Neither potatoes nor dogs can really be used as accurate analogies, as human beings in practice never approach the degree of line-breeding purity of either. Even the most inbred human gene pools have had occasional freshening every so often. And human beings often mingle their genes in ways that, if not purely random, are certainly not according to any planned breeding program.
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