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Protocol for Assessing the Relative Effects of Environment and Genetics on Antler and Body Growth for a Long-lived Cervid

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Inbreeding Depression Across Multiple Life-History Traits in a Long-Lived Mammal.

Léa Auclair¹, Cécile Vanpé², Guillaume Chapron³

¹Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Sorbonne Université, Centre D'écologie et Des Sciences de la Conservation (CESCO), Paris, France.

Molecular Ecology

|October 4, 2025

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Inbreeding depression negatively impacts Pyrenean brown bear survival, reproduction, and dispersal across all life stages. Understanding these effects is crucial for conserving threatened wildlife populations.

Keywords:

brown bear (Ursus arctos)inbreeding depression lethal equivalents life‐history traits pedigree small population viability

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Area of Science:

Conservation Biology
Population Genetics
Wildlife Ecology

Background:

Inbreeding depression is a significant conservation concern, yet its effects on later life stages in wild, long-lived species remain understudied.
Small, declining wild populations face increasing threats from habitat loss and human activities, exacerbating inbreeding risks.

Purpose of the Study:

To quantify inbreeding depression across multiple life stages in the Pyrenean brown bear (Ursus arctos).
To assess the impact of inbreeding on survival, reproduction, and dispersal in a wild, long-lived mammal population.

Main Methods:

Analysis of 27 years of Pyrenean brown bear monitoring data.
Quantification of inbreeding effects on litter size, natal dispersal, cub survival, and lifetime breeding success.

Main Results:

Strong inbreeding depression was observed, particularly affecting early life stages like litter size and dispersal distance.
Inbred adult females showed reduced cub survival, and lifetime breeding success was negatively impacted by cumulative inbreeding.
Inbreeding depression affects multiple fitness components throughout the lifespan of Pyrenean brown bears.

Conclusions:

Comprehensive assessment of inbreeding depression across the entire life cycle is essential for accurate conservation planning.
Findings underscore the need for conservation strategies that mitigate inbreeding in threatened wild populations facing anthropogenic pressures.
Understanding life-stage-specific impacts of inbreeding is critical for predicting population viability and implementing effective conservation measures for large mammals.