Meanings
nounfounder effect (plural founder effects)
plural founder effects
- evolutionary theorybiologyA reduction in genetic diversity resulting when a population is descended from a small number of colonizing ancestors.
The view that Navajo neuropathy was purely inherited continued to have its adherents. It did seem logical. There were multiple cases within families. The syndrome had appeared suddenly, the way a “founder effect” disease might.
2006 November 20, Judy Pasternak, “Oases in Navajo Desert Contained 'A Witch's Brew'”, in Los Angeles Times
Translations
Arabic تَأْثِير المُؤَسِّس, تَأْثِير المُؤَسَّسَة
- تَأْثِير المُؤَسِّس (taʔṯīr al-muʔassis)lessening of genetic variation when the entire population descends from a small number of founders
- تَأْثِير المُؤَسَّسَة (taʔṯīr al-muʔassasa)lessening of genetic variation when the entire population descends from a small number of founders
Chinese Mandarin 奠基者效應 /奠基者效应
- 奠基者效應 /奠基者效应 (diànjīzhěxiàoyìng)lessening of genetic variation when the entire population descends from a small number of founders
Finnish perustajavaikutus
- perustajavaikutuslessening of genetic variation when the entire population descends from a small number of founders
French effet fondateur
- effet fondateurlessening of genetic variation when the entire population descends from a small number of founders
German Gründereffekt
- Gründereffektlessening of genetic variation when the entire population descends from a small number of founders
Polish efekt założyciela
- efekt założycielalessening of genetic variation when the entire population descends from a small number of founders
Portuguese efeito fundador, efeito do fundador
- efeito fundadorlessening of genetic variation when the entire population descends from a small number of founders
- efeito do fundadorlessening of genetic variation when the entire population descends from a small number of founders
Russian эффе́кт основа́теля
- эффе́кт основа́теля (effékt osnovátelja)lessening of genetic variation when the entire population descends from a small number of founders
Spanish efecto fundador
- efecto fundadorlessening of genetic variation when the entire population descends from a small number of founders
Swedish grundareffekt
- grundareffektlessening of genetic variation when the entire population descends from a small number of founders
Cite this entry
APA
founder effect. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/founder%20effect
MLA
“founder effect.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/founder%20effect. Accessed November 3, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “founder effect,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/founder%20effect.
Source: founder effect on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.