title: Population properties affect inbreeding avoidance in moose.
abstract: Mechanisms reducing inbreeding are thought to have evolved owing to fitness costs of breeding with close relatives. In small and isolated populations, or populations with skewed age- or sex distributions, mate choice becomes limited, and inbreeding avoidance mechanisms ineffective. We used a unique individual-based dataset on moose from a small island in Norway to assess whether inbreeding avoidance was related to population structure and size, expecting inbreeding avoidance to be greater in years with larger populations and even adult sex ratios. The probability that a potential mating event was realized was negatively related to the inbreeding coefficient of the potential offspring, with a stronger relationship in years with a higher proportion or number of males in the population. Thus, adult sex ratio and population size affect the degree of inbreeding avoidance. Consequently, conservation managers should aim for sex ratios that facilitate inbreeding avoidance, especially in small and isolated populations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, 7491 Trondheim, Norway ivar.herfindal@ntnu.no.
authors.forename: Ivar
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Herfindal
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, 7491 Trondheim, Norway Department of Basic Sciences and Aquatic Medicine, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, 0033 Oslo, Norway Norwegian Radiation Protection Authority, PO Box 55, 1332 Østerås, Norway.
authors.forename: Hallvard
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Haanes
authors.affiliation: Department of Basic Sciences and Aquatic Medicine, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, 0033 Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: Knut H
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Røed
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, 7491 Trondheim, Norway Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), 7485 Trondheim, Norway.
authors.forename: Erling J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Solberg
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, 7491 Trondheim, Norway.
authors.forename: Stine S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Markussen
authors.affiliation: Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), 7485 Trondheim, Norway.
authors.forename: Morten
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Heim
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, 7491 Trondheim, Norway.
authors.forename: Bernt-Erik
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: Sæther
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001362:Avoidance Learning; D003670:Deer / Q000502:physiology*; D007178:Inbreeding; D009664:Norway
keywords: Alces alces; adult sex ratio; population size