Inbreeding and competitive ability in the common shrew (Sorex araneus)

摘要: Common shrews (Sorex araneus) maintain a foraging territory for most of their immature life. Possessing high-quality is vital overwinter survival in the harsh boreal climate, and hence, competitive ability territorial disputes expected to be an important component individual fitness. To test possible association between inbreeding fitness, we used neutral arena trials assess performance young common shrews. The experiment involved pairs individuals originating from small island populations, where breeding must often occur related individuals, large outbred mainland populations. percentage tests that won was highly significantly explained by internal relatedness, surrogate measure inbreeding, measured using ten microsatellite markers. Body size, sex, learning, population type (mainland vs island) made no significant contributions. Even low level may lead adverse consequences multiple contests, which represent cause depression many wild vertebrate