What can poor breeding practices in selective breeding lead to?

Poor breeding practices in selective breeding can indeed lead to a human-induced genetic bottleneck. A genetic bottleneck occurs when a population's size is significantly reduced for at least one generation, which can happen when breeders select only a small number of individuals with desirable traits to reproduce. This limited selection can decrease the genetic diversity of the population, as the gene pool becomes narrower.

As a result, certain alleles may become overly represented while others are lost, increasing the risk of genetic disorders and reducing the overall resilience of the population to environmental changes or diseases. Over time, the lack of genetic variation can impede the population's ability to adapt and thrive, leading to a host of issues linked to poor breeding practices.

This concept emphasizes the importance of maintaining genetic diversity in breeding programs to support healthy populations and minimize the risks associated with genetic bottlenecks.