Inbreeding depression explains killer whale population dynamics
The key to conserving biodiversity is to understand the factors that drive population growth. Although genetic factors have long been a theoretical focus in conservation biology, intrinsic genetic effects on population dynamics are rarely measured in the wild. In recent years, increasing attention has been paid to the idea that depleted populations can be further imperilled by the genetic consequences of small population size, including inbreeding depression (reduced survival or reproduction of the offspring from closely related parents) or the loss of genetic variation and adaptive potential.
Dec 19,2024
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