Journal article
Inbreeding tolerance and fitness costs in wild bottlenose dolphins
Proceedings. Biological sciences, Vol.277(1694), pp.2667-2673
2010
Abstract
In wild populations, inbreeding tolerance is expected to evolve where the cost of avoidance exceeds that of tolerance. We show that in a wild population of bottlenose dolphins found in East Shark Bay, Western Australia, levels of inbreeding are higher than expected by chance alone, and demonstrate that inbreeding is deleterious to female fitness in two independent ways. We found that inbred females, and females with inbred calves, have reduced fitness (lower calving success). We further show that one of the costs of inbreeding is extended weaning age, and that females' earlier calves are more likely to be inbred. While the exact causes of inbreeding remain obscure, our results indicate that one factor is female age, and thus experience. Any inbreeding avoidance mechanisms such as female evasion of kin, or male dispersal, do not seem to be completely effective in this population, which supports the view that inbreeding avoidance does not always evolve wherever inbreeding incurs a cost.
Details
- Title
- Inbreeding tolerance and fitness costs in wild bottlenose dolphins
- Authors
- Celine H Frere (Author) - University of New South WalesM Krützen (Author) - University of Zurich, SwitzerlandA M Kopps (Author) - University of Zurich, SwitzerlandP Ward (Author) - University of QueenslandJ Mann (Author) - Georgetown University, United StatesW B Sherwin (Author) - University of New South Wales
- Publication details
- Proceedings. Biological sciences, Vol.277(1694), pp.2667-2673
- Publisher
- Royal Society Publishing
- Date published
- 2010
- DOI
- 10.1098/rspb.2010.0039
- ISSN
- 0962-8452; 0962-8452
- Organisation Unit
- School of Science and Engineering - Legacy; University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland; School of Science, Technology and Engineering
- Language
- English
- Record Identifier
- 99449031502621
- Output Type
- Journal article
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