Inbred Bumblebees Less Successful Due To 'Inefficient' Males
Saturday, July 25, 2009 - 23:28
in Biology & Nature
Declining bumblebee populations are at greater risk of inbreeding, which can trigger a downward spiral of further decline. Researchers have provided the first proof that inbreeding reduces colony fitness under natural conditions by increasing the production of reproductively inefficient 'diploid' males.