Inbreeding and juvenile mortality in small populations of ungulates

Science. 1979 Nov 30;206(4422):1101-3. doi: 10.1126/science.493997.

Abstract

Juvenile mortality of inbred young was higher than that of noninbred young in 15 of 16 species of captive ungulates. In 19 of 25 individual females, belonging to ten species, a larger percentage of young died when the female was mated to a related male than when she was mated to an unrelated male.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Animals, Zoo / genetics
  • Animals, Zoo / physiology*
  • Artiodactyla / genetics
  • Artiodactyla / physiology*
  • Fertility
  • Inbreeding*
  • Life Expectancy