inbreeding depression

American  

[in-bree-ding-di-presh-uhn] / ˈɪnˌbri dɪŋ dɪˌprɛʃ ən /

noun

1. Biology. the tendency of a population to become progressively less fit as a result of inbreeding.

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inbreeding depression Scientific  

1. The loss of vigor and general health that sometimes characterizes organisms that are the product of inbreeding.

2. Compare hybrid vigor

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

inbreeding depression

But these are likely underestimates of the effects of inbreeding because researchers didn’t collect data from the orcas’ earliest life stages, when inbreeding depression is often the strongest.

From Seattle Times ● Mar. 20, 2023

However, if a family of carriers begins to interbreed with each other, this will dramatically increase the likelihood of two carriers mating and eventually producing diseased offspring, a phenomenon known as inbreeding depression.

From Textbooks ● Jun. 9, 2022

However, the bottleneck effect occurs when inbreeding depression kills off part of a population, whereas the founder effect relies on nonrandom mating.

From Textbooks ● Jun. 9, 2022

Genome sequencing of the E. grandis sister species E. globulus and a set of inbred E. grandis tree genomes reveals dynamic genome evolution and hotspots of inbreeding depression.

From Nature ● Jun. 10, 2014

Predominantly outcrossers1 with hermaphroditic animal-pollinated flowers, eucalypts are highly heterozygous and display pre- and postzygotic barriers to selfing to reduce inbreeding depression for fitness and survival4.

From Nature ● Jun. 10, 2014