DISSERTATION RESEARCH: Selection and Inbreeding Depression: Effects of Inbreeding Rate and Inbreeding Environment

Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green OH

Investigators

Abstract

The main goal of this project is to evaluate the effects of inbreeding rate and environment on the magnitude of inbreeding depression. Mating between close relatives is often inevitable in small natural populations and within captive breeding programs for endangered species, leading in most cases to a reduction in vigor and fertility known as inbreeding depression. Although the potential for inbreeding depression within small populations is well known, the magnitude of inbreeding depression can vary considerably among populations of different sizes and exposed to different environmental conditions. Using Drosophila melanogaster as a model organism, laboratory populations will be inbred at different rates (slow versus fast) and within different inbreeding environments (benign, competitive, stressful). We hypothesize that these factors will influence the effectiveness of natural selection during inbreeding, and thus affect the magnitude of inbreeding depression. Results from this study will have direct implications for the conservation and management of small populations and endangered species. Inbreeding depression has often been viewed as an important factor contributing to the extinction of species in the wild. Understanding the factors that influence inbreeding depression will improve risk-assessment and provide management options for species conservation. In addition, the proposed research will be of value for the management of captive populations, which are specifically aimed at minimizing the detrimental effects of inbreeding.