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Research article2005Peer reviewedOpen access

Severe inbreeding depression in a wild wolf (Canis lupus) population

Liberg O, Andren H, Pedersen HC, Sand H, Sejberg D, Wabakken P, Akesson M, Bensch S

Abstract

The difficulty of obtaining pedigrees for wild populations has hampered the possibility of demonstrating inbreeding depression in nature. In a small, naturally restored, wild population of grey wolves in Scandinavia, founded in 1983, we constructed a pedigree for 24 of the 28 breeding pairs established in the period 1983-2002. Ancestry for the breeding animals was determined through a combination of field data (snow tracking and radio telemetry) and DNA microsatellite analysis. The population was founded by only three individuals. The inbreeding coefficient F varied between 0.00 and 0.41 for wolves born during the study period. The number of surviving pups per litter during their first winter after birth was strongly correlated with inbreeding coefficients of pups (R-2 = 0. 39, p < 0.00 1). This inbreeding depression was recalculated to match standard estimates of lethal equivalents (213), corresponding to 6.04 (2.58-9.48, 95% CI) litter-size-reducing equivalents in this wolf population

Published in

Biology Letters
2005, Volume: 1, number: 1, pages: 17-20
Publisher: ROYAL SOCIETY

      SLU Authors

    • Liberg, Olof

      • Department of Conservation Biology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences

      • Andren, Henrik

        • Department of Conservation Biology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences

        • Sand, Håkan

          • Department of Conservation Biology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences

          • UKÄ Subject classification

          Environmental Sciences related to Agriculture and Land-use

          Publication identifier

          DOI: https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2004.0266

          Permanent link to this page (URI)

          https://res.slu.se/id/publ/6424