Reproductive performance in houbara bustard is affected by the combined effects of age, inbreeding and number of generations in captivity.

ABSTRACT: Although captive breeding programs are valuable for conservation, they have been shown to be associated with genetic changes, such as adaptation to captivity or inbreeding. In addition, reproductive performance is strongly age-dependent in most animal species. These mechanisms that potentially impact reproduction have often been studied separately, while their interactions have rarely been addressed. In this study, using a large dataset of nine male and female reproductive parameters measured for 12,295 captive houbara bustards (Chlamydotis undulata undulata) over 24 years, we investigated the relative and interactive effects of age, inbreeding and number of generations in captivity on reproduction. We clearly identified (1) senescence patterns in all parameters studied; (2) negative effec

SUBMITTER: Rabier R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8035203 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature