Inbreeding depression across the lifespan in a wild mammal population.

ABSTRACT: Inbreeding depression is of major concern for the conservation of threatened species, and inbreeding avoidance is thought to be a key driver in the evolution of mating systems. However, the estimation of individual inbreeding coefficients in natural populations has been challenging, and, consequently, the full effect of inbreeding on fitness remains unclear. Genomic inbreeding coefficients may resolve the long-standing paucity of data on inbreeding depression in adult traits and total fitness. Here we investigate inbreeding depression in a range of life history traits and fitness in a wild population of red deer (Cervus elaphus) in Scotland using individual inbreeding coefficients derived from dense Single-Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) data (Fgrm). We find associations between[Formula: see

SUBMITTER: Huisman J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4822623 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature