deme

deme  (dm)

n.

1. One of the townships of ancient Attica.

2. Ecology A local, usually stable population of interbreeding organisms of the same kind or species.

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[Greek dmos, people, land; see d- in Indo-European roots.]

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deme  (dm)

A small, locally interbreeding group of organisms within a larger population. Demes are isolated reproductively from other members of their species, although the isolation may only be partial and is not necessarily permanent. Because they share a somewhat restricted gene pool, members of a deme generally differ morphologically to some degree from members of other demes. See also population.