ANyone good with Anthropology??

Question

Explain the following statement: “In general, evolutionary change is more intensive in small, isolated populations than in large populations that often breed with outsiders of their species.” Use any real or hypothetical examples you wish to substantiate your answer.


(serious answers please!!)

Answer 1

I believe this is something Charles Darwin may have refered to from his trip to the Galapagos islands. I think it is refering to the fact that small isolated populations have more potential for evolution as there is a greater competition for resources and a greater potential for inbreeding than you would find in larger populations that have contact with differing populations of the same species. I guess the best example I can come up with (and please do not think I am being racist) is that while in places such as Europe and North America where you have many differing ethnic backgrounds you have people all being the aproximate same size. Where as in isolated areas of Africa such as deeper parts of the Congo you have tribes that have either become extremely tall and thin or shorter than average people. I am not saying that people of African descent are somehow inferior I am simply stating that when an ethnic type interbreeds too much it will produce extremes in certain genetic types.