Inbreeding and Inbreeding depression

Question 1

Inbreeding

Answer 1

Mating between close relatives, more likely in smaller populations

Consequences of inbreeding
-Inbred progeny have higher ⨏ values than outcrossed progeny
-Higher frequencies of homozygotes in inbred populations
-Inbred progeny often suffer from inbreeding depression (less fit)

Question 2

Genetic variation in small, isolated populations

Answer 2

Populations that are small or lack genetic variation are less capable of evolving in response to new challenges (high extinction risk)

Genetic variation is lost quickest in small populations

Question 3

Conservation genetics

Answer 3

Aims to reduce loss of genetic variation and avoid inbreeding

Human activity is the cause of the sixth mass extinction

Habitat destruction is the biggest threat, causing populations to become small and geographically isolated

Question 4

Isolated human populations and disease mapping

Answer 4

Have high incidence of some genetic diseases

Can be used to map disease genes

E.g. amish diseases, finnish diseases