Inbreeding and competitive ability in the common shrew (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Sorex araneus</Emphasis>) |
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Authors: | Kaisa Välimäki Gavin Hinten Ilkka Hanski |
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Institution: | (1) Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, BO Box 65 (Viikinkaari 1), 000014 Helsinki, Finland;(2) Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK |
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Abstract: | Common shrews (Sorex araneus) maintain a foraging territory for most of their immature life. Possessing a high-quality territory is vital for overwinter
survival in the harsh boreal climate, and hence, competitive ability in territorial disputes is expected to be an important
component of individual fitness. To test possible association between individual inbreeding and fitness, we used neutral arena
trials to assess the competitive performance of young common shrews. The experiment involved pairs of individuals originating
from small island populations, where breeding must often occur between related individuals, and from large outbred mainland
populations. The percentage of neutral arena tests that an individual won was highly significantly explained by internal relatedness,
a surrogate measure of individual inbreeding, measured using ten microsatellite markers. Body size, sex, learning, and population
type (mainland vs island) made no significant contributions. Even a low level of individual inbreeding may lead to significant
adverse consequences in multiple territorial contests, which may represent a significant cause of inbreeding depression in
many wild vertebrate populations. |
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Keywords: | Inbreeding Competitive ability Internal relatedness Territoriality Common shrew |
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