Re: Minimum number of males in a breeding population


"Ron O" wrote:

baal wrote:
What is the minimum number of males in a breeding population of 10,000
needed to avoid fatal inbreeding

That has actually been calculated. It was published in either Science
or Nature, but I can't remember the citation. It was mainly about
endangered species and was a statistical exercise. The answer came out
to be an "effective" breeding population of 10,000 was needed. This is
5,000 males and 5,000 females that are producing the next generation.

Don't these seem like awfully large numbers in light of the fact that
invasive aliens often start with small numbers and explode into large
populations? E. g. cane toads, brown tree snakes, etc.

--
Dan


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