Editing Gene flow (section)

=== Genetic rescue ===
Gene flow can also be used to assist species which are threatened with extinction. When a species exist in small populations there is an increased risk of inbreeding and  greater susceptibility to loss of diversity due to drift. These populations can benefit greatly from the introduction of unrelated individuals<ref name=":2" /> who can increase diversity<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Hasselgren M, Angerbjörn A, Eide NE, Erlandsson R, Flagstad Ø, Landa A, Wallén J, Norén K | display-authors = 6 | title = Vulpes lagopus) population | journal = Proceedings. Biological Sciences | volume = 285 | issue = 1875 | pages = 20172814 | date = March 2018 | pmid = 29593110 | pmc = 5897638 | doi = 10.1098/rspb.2017.2814 }}</ref> and reduce the amount of inbreeding, and potentially increase population size.<ref>{{cite journal| vauthors = Hedrick PW, Fredrickson R |date=2010|title=Genetic rescue guidelines with examples from Mexican wolves and Florida panthers |journal=Conservation Genetics|language=en|volume=11|issue=2|pages=615–626|doi=10.1007/s10592-009-9999-5|bibcode=2010ConG...11..615H |s2cid=23194498|issn=1566-0621}}</ref> This was demonstrated in the lab with two bottleneck strains of ''Drosophila melanogaster'', in which crosses between the two populations reversed the effects of inbreeding and led to greater chances of survival in not only one generation but two.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Heber S, Briskie JV, Apiolaza LA | title = A test of the 'genetic rescue' technique using bottlenecked donor populations of Drosophila melanogaster | journal = PLOS ONE | volume = 7 | issue = 8 | pages = e43113 | date = 13 August 2012 | pmid = 22912802 | pmc = 3418252 | doi = 10.1371/journal.pone.0043113 | bibcode = 2012PLoSO...743113H | doi-access = free }}</ref>