Science a GoGo's Home Page Forums General Discussion General Science Discussion Forum How small can a population be without risking inbreeding?

What is the smallest number of individuals a population may have in order to live on without the risk of inbreeding? I am doing a projet work on the possible existence of relict hominids and so it would be convenient to know how small the populations might have remained for millennia but still lived on. Any references would be greatly appreciated.

Adam and Eve - or don't you harken to the literal word of God?

As the New World Amish have amply demonstrated, even a few thousand founding individuals is not a big enough population to avoid inbreeding. Also, the State of Arkansas.