Metapopulation

[Prirodoslovni muzej Split]

Dear friends, I need some more facts to understand this. I have this:

>Metapopulation: a mass of populations of varying degrees of panmixis
that nonetheless exhibit a cohesive phenotype and evolutionary history. 
Each sub-population receives, on average, at least one genetic
contribution (one haplotype) per generation from another population. >

As I understood, this could be more populations of only one species, not of more species, so this is not a kind of hybridisation case. Clear.
Than, this are populations of one species, but from some reason (geographical, ethological, ...) there are some limits or obstacles in free reproduction and they are more and more isolated than is usualy expected in free panmixis. What can casuse different degrees of panmixis in this case of metapopulation? Are this very close populations product of ecologicaly or geographicaly isolation (simpatric - alopatric)?  Or this does not matter? 

Maybe the best way for you to explain this to me is to write some classical example of metapopulation in animal world (birds, fishes...) so I'll easier find this in our books, please? Maybe you can make photocopy of few pages or to scann it and send it to me? In fact, my colleague need this facts. She is going to "defend" her masterwork thesis and she need this metapopulation term to make it clear on her example. But, I am interested to know this, too. 
Thank you very much!
Boze

******************************************************************
"Knowledge that isn't shared is like a buried treasure. 
Even the owner can't use it."                           
                                                Yann Evenou,  France

*******************************************************************


Boze Kokan
Natural History Museum Split
p.p.376 
21 000 Split
Croatia
Europe
old address: primust at st.tel.hr
new address: Boze.Kokan at public.st.carnet.hr