Population
A group of individuals of the same species living in the same area at the same time, capable of interbreeding. Populations are the units on which natural selection acts.
Used in the Books
This term appears in 48 chapters:
"These stories are often wrong - not because founders are lying, but because human memory is fallible, we believe anecdotes more easily than population-level data, and successful people are especially prone to attributing their success to specific decisions rather than luck or timing."
"When a system deviates from its setpoint, feedback pushes it back. Thermostats. Cruise control. Blood sugar regulation. Predator-prey populations. All negative feedback loops, all serving the same function: maintaining stability in an unstable world. The mechanism is simple: sensor → control c..."
"A pathogen that can infect one can infect all. An environmental change that threatens one threatens the entire population. Asexual lineages adapt slowly, relying on rare mutations. Sexual reproduction mixes genetic material from two parents."
"By 2020, M-Pesa handled transactions worth nearly 50% of Kenya's GDP. Over 30 million Kenyans - roughly 70% of the adult population - use M-Pesa regularly. The service expanded to Tanzania, Afghanistan, South Africa, India, Romania, Albania. This wasn't just a technology success...."
"...ring the 1977 drought, large beaks were selected for. During the 1983 El Niño (heavy rains, abundant soft seeds), small beaks were selected for. Same population, same island, opposite selection pressure, opposite adaptation. The fitness landscape flipped. Organizations pretend the landscape is static: "Our s..."
And 43 more chapters...
Biological Context
Population size, density, and growth rate determine species success. Populations fluctuate due to birth, death, immigration, and emigration. Small populations face extinction risks from genetic drift and inbreeding. Population dynamics drive ecological and evolutionary change.
Business Application
Customer populations, employee populations, competitor populations—business ecology involves tracking population dynamics. Market share is relative population size. Population growth models (exponential, logistic) apply to customer acquisition.