Re: linebreeding and inbreeding: with all due respect

Posted by Rick Staub on January 11, 1999 at 14:42:21:

In Reply to: Re: linebreeding and inbreeding: with all due respect posted by Rainshadow on January 09, 1999 at 05:43:40:

Sure, I have sought out unrelated pairs before and this is always a better choice. Inbreeding has few good qualities, yet, at least in reptiles, it does not seem to live up to its bad image. Be careful about confusing inbreeding depression with selection for obvious deleterious or lethal alleles. Inbreeding depression is a gradual lowering in the fitness of a population and not a sudden abnormality observed after a couple test crosses. Certantly one has to be cautious with reptiles when examining the occurance of inbreeding depression in other species, but to expect it since it occurs in fruit flies is not good science. Fruit flies are not even closely related to reptiles and a presumption that they are more primitive is questionable. It appears that reptiles may have an apparent resistance to inbreeding and considering the current state of captive breeding, studies aimed at investigating this question would make a good PhD thesis. Until the study is completed though, I reserve my judgement, but the anecdotal data supporting inbreeding as not being a factor is startling. Rick Staub

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: Sure, I have sought out unrelated pairs before and this is always a better choice. Inbreeding has few good qualities, yet, at least in reptiles, it does not seem to live up to its bad image. Be careful about confusing inbreeding depression with selection for obvious deleterious or lethal alleles. Inbreeding depression is a gradual lowering in the fitness of a population and not a sudden abnormality observed after a couple test crosses. Certantly one has to be cautious with reptiles when examining the occurance of inbreeding depression in other species, but to expect it since it occurs in fruit flies is not good science. Fruit flies are not even closely related to reptiles and a presumption that they are more primitive is questionable. It appears that reptiles may have an apparent resistance to inbreeding and considering the current state of captive breeding, studies aimed at investigating this question would make a good PhD thesis. Until the study is completed though, I reserve my judgement, but the anecdotal data supporting inbreeding as not being a factor is startling. Rick Staub

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