Genetic diversity

Genetic diversity is intraspecific diversity -- the variation found within a single species. It includes the diversity in the number and type of genes and chromosomes present, as well as variation in the genes and their alleles among individuals and between different populations of the same species, often linked to local adaptation. Genetic variation, such as differences in allelic genes, produces individual differences within a species; these differences are the raw material for evolution and improve a population's chances of surviving changing environmental conditions, since better-adapted individuals are more likely to persist. The existence of subspecies and races within a species is itself an example of genetic diversity, and greater genetic diversity generally means better long-term sustenance for a species. …