Additive genetic variance (VA) reflects the potential for evolutionary shifts and can be low for
some traits or populations. High VA is critical for the conservation of threatened species …

Skull bone mineral density (SK-BMD) provides a suitable trait for the discovery of key genes
in bone biology, particularly to intramembranous ossification, not captured at other skeletal …

Recurrent self-fertilization is thought to lead to reduced adaptive potential by decreasing the
genetic diversity of populations, thus leading selfing lineages down an evolutionary “blind …

The 'good genes' hypothesis for the evolution of male secondary sexual traits poses that
female preferences for such traits are driven by indirect genetic benefits. However, support …

Here we critically discuss data supporting the view that microbial agents (pathogens,
pathobionts or commensals alike) play a relevant role in the pathogenesis of multifactorial …

Sex ratio allocation has important fitness consequences, and theory predicts that parents
should adjust offspring sex ratio in cases where the fitness returns of producing male and …

Inbreeding depression, that is, the reduction of health and vigour in individuals with high
inbreeding coefficients, is expected to increase with environmental, social, or physiological …

Backgrounds Apis mellifera scutellata and Am capensis (the Cape honey bee) are western
honey bee subspecies indigenous to the Republic of South Africa (RSA). Both bees are …

How individual genetic variability relates to fitness is important in understanding evolution
and the processes affecting populations of conservation concern. Heterozygosity–fitness …

Deleterious recessive alleles that are masked in outbred populations are predicted to be
expressed in small, inbred populations, reducing both individual fitness and population …