Dissertation Research: The Role of Kin Recognition in Preventing Inbreeding in Four Species of Voles

9624013约翰-阿尔德近亲交配会导致发育问题，增加对寄生虫的易感性，并增加遗传疾病的频率，限制个体利用不同环境和在突然的环境变化中生存的能力。由于近亲繁殖的潜在负面影响，许多野生动物物种被认为本能地避免近亲繁殖。这项由该奖项资助的研究将测试是否在具有不同社会结构和扩散模式的四种哺乳动物中以不同方式避免近亲繁殖。栖息地碎片化破坏了正常的扩散模式，造成了小而孤立的种群，其中的动物无法离开它们的出生范围。这项研究的发现将解决栖息地碎片化是否会增加具有特定扩散模式或亲属回避行为的哺乳动物物种的近亲繁殖频率。这些结果可以用来告知保护区管理人员和野生生物学家特定物种的行为属性，这些属性加剧了栖息地破坏和碎片化的负面影响。

9624013 John-Alder Inbreeding can cause developmental problems, increase susceptibility to parasites and promote the frequency of genetic disorders, limiting the capacity of individuals to make use of different environments and survive sudden environmental changes. Because of the potentially negative effects of inbreeding, it is thought to be instinctively avoided by many wildlife species. The research funded by this award will test whether inbreeding is differentially avoided in four mammalian species having different social structures and dispersal patterns. Disruption of normal dispersal patterns through habitat fragmentation creates small, isolated populations in which animals are unable to leave their natal ranges. Findings from this research will address whether habitat fragmentation increases the frequency of inbreeding for mammalian species with particular dispersal modes or kin avoidance behaviors. These results can be used to inform reserve managers and wildlife biologists on species-specific behavioral attributes that exacerbate the negative effects of habitat destruction and fragmentation.