panmixia
/panˈmɪksɪə
/noun [mass noun] Zoology
Random mating within a breeding population.Microsatellite markers revealed no particular departure from panmixia within each local population and a genetic structure consistent with isolation by distance....
- If the size of the effective breeding population is still greater, approaching panmixia in varying degrees, evolution will be slowed down considerably.
- With an extinction-colonization model, the probability of fixation can be much reduced relative to panmixia.
Derivatives
panmictic
- The ocean has been thought to have few boundaries, and marine species have been often perceived to be panmictic.
- Contrary to our expectation, populations within subspecies were essentially panmictic, despite behaviors, such as semicolonial nesting and philopatry, that might be expected to limit dispersal.
- Another long-standing question stemming from the eels' catadromous life history is whether conspecific populations from different locales within a continent have come from a panmictic spawn.
Origin
Late 19th century: modern Latin, from German Panmixie, from Greek pan 'all' + mixis 'mixing'.