Inbreeding accelerates reproductive senescence, but not survival senescence, in a precocial bird.

ABSTRACT: Inbreeding depression is predicted to increase with age, because natural selection is less efficient at purging deleterious alleles that are only expressed later in life. However, empirical results are scarce, and equivocal between studies. Here we performed controlled matings between related and unrelated individuals of domesticated Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica), and monitored the performance of their offspring for all fitness components over their complete life course. We found rapid senescence in adult survival and egg laying performance, and inbreeding depression at all life stages (reduced embryo viability, increased age at maturity, as well as reduced adult survival and reproduction). Inbreeding depression did not increase at later ages for survival, but did so for egg laying, t

SUBMITTER: Beccardi M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11615265 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature