Shaped by Isolation: Genetic Load and Purging in NonNative Populations of Wall Lizards (Podarcis muralis)
Small populations are prone to inbreeding depression due to the increased likelihood of mating between close relatives, resulting in the expression of deleterious recessive mutations. While this increases the risk of population extinction, high levels of inbreeding can initiate a purging process, where natural selection gradually eliminates strongly deleterious mutations. This purging effect has b