Direct and indirect causal effects of heterozygosity on fitness-related traits in Alpine ibex

摘要: Heterozygosity–fitness correlations (HFCs) are a useful tool to investigate the effects of inbreeding in wild populations, but not informative distinguishing between direct and indirect heterozygosity on fitness-related traits. We tested HFCs male Alpine ibex (Capra ibex) free-ranging population (which suffered severe bottleneck at end eighteenth century) used confirmatory path analysis disentangle causal relationships 149 individuals born 1985 2009. found that standardized multi-locus (MLH), calculated from 37 microsatellite loci, was related body mass horn growth, which known be important traits, faecal egg counts (FECs) nematode eggs, proxy parasite resistance. Then, using analysis, we were able show effect MLH growth mediated by FEC. do necessarily imply genetic instead can other traits complex unexpected ways.