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

9624013 John-Alder近亲繁殖会导致发育问题，增加对寄生虫的易感性，并增加遗传疾病的发生频率，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，人们认为许多野生动物本能地避免近亲繁殖。这项由该奖项资助的研究将测试四种具有不同社会结构和分散模式的哺乳动物是否会以不同的方式避免近亲繁殖。栖息地破碎破坏了正常的传播模式，造成了小而孤立的种群，动物无法离开它们的出生范围。本研究的结果将探讨栖息地破碎化是否会增加具有特定分散模式或亲缘回避行为的哺乳动物近亲繁殖的频率。这些结果可以用来为保护区管理者和野生动物生物学家提供信息，以了解加剧栖息地破坏和破碎化负面影响的物种特定行为属性。

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.