The Importance of Genetic Diversity

The difference between the DNA of individuals within a species is much less than the difference between DNA of different species.All members of the species have the same genes but may have different versions of the same gene (alleles). The different alleles create genetic biodiversity within the species. The more alleles a species has, the more genetically biodiverse it is.Species with greater genetic biodiversity are more likely to be able to adapt to changes in the environment.There are likely to be some individuals with advantageous alleles which enable the individuals to survive in the new conditions. The organism will survive, reproduce and pass the advantageous allele on to their offspring. This leads to the survival of the species.