Rapid evolutionary changes result from selection caused by human actions, rather than natural selection, and influence the dynamics of populations, communities and ecosystems (Santamaria & Mendez, 2012). Anthropogenic disturbances such as harvest, habitat loss and fragmentation create evolutionary consequences that are difficult to reverse. Fish harvesting, for example, selects for large, adult members of the population, causing changes in the fish population to favor earlier reproduction and, consequently, influences nutrient cycling in their aquatic environment and interactions in the food web ( Santamaria & Mendez, 2012). ). This anthropogenic selection decreases the adaptive potential of the population or species by reducing the gene pool and genetic variation. Habitat loss and fragmentation are also a major driver of biodiversity loss as they reduce population sizes and isolate populations. Genetic exchange between groups of individuals requires their breeding ranges to overlap. Human alterations to the physical landscape change the distribution of species and can therefore influence gene flow by reducing the degree of contact between groups and creating reproductive barriers that reduce both the fitness and genetic integrity of populations and species (Crispo et al ., 2011). Small, isolated populations