Linking inbreeding effects in captive populations with fitness in the wild: Release of replicated Drosophila melanogaster lines under different temperatures

Abstract

Inbreeding effects have been detected in captive populations of threatened species, but the extent to which these effects translate into fitness under field conditions is mostly unknown. We address this issue by comparing the performance of replicated noninbred and inbred Drosophila lines under field and laboratory conditions. We asked whether environment-dependent effects of inbreeding can be demonstrated for a field-fitness component in Drosophila, the ability of flies to locate resources, and associated the results with results on effects of inbreeding investigated in the laboratory. Inbreeding effects were evident when releases were undertaken under warm conditions, but not under cold co..