Increased prenatal maternal investment reduces inbreeding depression in offspring.

ABSTRACT: Inbreeding depression refers to the reduction of fitness that results from matings between relatives. Evidence for reduced fitness in inbred individuals is widespread, but the strength of inbreeding depression varies widely both within and among taxa. Environmental conditions can mediate this variation in the strength of inbreeding depression, with environmental stress exacerbating the negative consequences of inbreeding. Parents can modify the environment experienced by offspring, and have thus the potential to mitigate the negative consequences of inbreeding. While such parental effects have recently been demonstrated during the postnatal period, the role of prenatal parental effects in influencing the expression of inbreeding depression remains unexplored. To address this gap, we perfor

SUBMITTER: Ihle KE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5563818 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature