https://tube.blueben.net/videos/watch/14f8b537-7892-4f3d-85ef-30be0e211c74 If nuclear blasts, asteroids, or alien lasers killed off almost all humans on Earth, how many people would be needed to rebuild a genetically sustainable human population? LEARN MORE To learn more about this topic, start your googling with these keywords: Gene Pool: The total collection of different genes within a population. A larger gene pool means more genetic diversity., Genetic Diversity: Having a wide variety of different genes within a population., Inbreeding Depression: The reduced biological fitness caused by loss of genetic diversity as a result of inbreeding, or mating between closely related individuals within a species., Recessive Genes: Genes that only cause a trait or disease when two copies are present (one from each parent)., SUPPORT MINUTEEARTH If you like what we do, you can help us!: Become our patron: https://patreon.com/MinuteEarth, Our merch: store.dftba.com/me, Our book: https://minuteearth.com/books, Sign up to our newsletter: http://news.minuteearth.com, Share this video with your friends and family, Leave us a comment (we read them!), CREDITS Cameron Duke | Script Writer, Narrator and Director Arcadi Garcia i Rius | Storyboard Artist Sarah Berman | Illustration, Video Editing and Animation Nathaniel Schroeder | Music MinuteEarth is produced by Neptune Studios LLC https://neptunestudios.info OUR STAFF Lizah van der Aart • Sarah Berman • Cameron Duke Arcadi Garcia i Rius • David Goldenberg • Melissa Hayes Henry Reich • Ever Salazar • Leonardo Souza • Kate Yoshida OUR LINKS Youtube | https://youtube.com/MinuteEarth TikTok | https://tiktok.com/@minuteearth Twitter | https://twitter.com/MinuteEarth Instagram | https://instagram.com/minute_earth Facebook | https://facebook.com/Minuteearth Website | https://minuteearth.com Apple Podcasts| https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/minuteearth/id649211176 REFERENCES Chaudhary, V., & Oli, M. K. (2020). A critical appraisal of population viability analysis. Conservation Biology, 34(1), 26–40. https://doi.org/10.1111/cobi.13414 Gutiérrez, D. (2002). The importance of unprotected habitats for the persistence of a metapopulation of the dingy skipper butterfly (Erynnis tages) in a fragmented landscape. Conservation Biology, 16(3). https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1523-1739.2002.00553.x Hu, W., Hao, Z., Du, P., Di Vincenzo, F., Manzi, G., Cui, J., Fu, Y.-X., Pan, Y.-H., & Li, H. (2023). Genomic inference of a severe human bottleneck during the Early to Middle Pleistocene transition. Science, 381(6661), 979–984. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.abq7487 Marin, F., & Beluffi, C. (2018). Computing the minimal crew for a multi-generational space journey towards Proxima Centauri b. Journal of the British Interplanetary Society, 71(2), 430–437. Mills, L. S. (2013). Conservation of wildlife populations: Demography, genetics, and management (2nd ed.). Wiley-Blackwell. Rai, U. K. (2003). 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Estimation of a genetically viable population for multigenerational interstellar voyaging: Review and data for project Hyperion. Acta Astronautica, 97, 16–29. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actaastro.2013.12.013 Traill, L. W., Brook, B. W., Frankham, R. R., & Bradshaw, C. J. A. (2010). Pragmatic population viability targets in a rapidly changing world. Biological Conservation, 143(1), 28–34. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2009.09.001 Waples, R. S. (2025). The idiot's guide to effective population size. Molecular Ecology. https://doi.org/10.1111/mec.17670 Yampolskiy, R. V. (2018). Minimum viable human population with intelligent interventions [Unpublished manuscript]. University of Louisville. 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