Background: During sexual reproduction, mating with a close relative (inbreeding) often leads to inbreeding depression. Inbreeding depression is considered to be largely due to expression of deleterious recessive mutations. The effects of inbreeding have been studied in many vertebrate species.

Situation: Keith is a zoologist. He studies large predators. Last year, he was studying different species of lions. First, he visited the Gir forest in India. There he found the Asiatic Lions. Unfortunately, only few Asiatic Lions are left in the wild, and they have to mate with their close relatives. He then visited the Serengeti reserve in Tanzania. There he found that the African Lions were not forced to mate with close relatives due to their large number.

Question: Which place would see more inbreeding depression, Gir or Serengeti?
Answer: Gir

Situation: Keith is a zoologist. He studies large predators. Last year, he was studying different species of lions. First, he visited the Gir forest in India. There he found the Asiatic Lions. Unfortunately, only few Asiatic Lions are left in the wild, and they have to mate with their close relatives. He then visited the Serengeti reserve in Tanzania. There he found that the African Lions were not forced to mate with close relatives due to their large number.

Question: Which place would see less inbreeding depression, Gir or Serengeti?
Answer: Serengeti

Situation: Keith is a zoologist. He studies large predators. Last year, he was studying different species of lions. First, he visited the Gir forest in India. There he found the Asiatic Lions. Unfortunately, only few Asiatic Lions are left in the wild, and they have to mate with their close relatives. He then visited the Serengeti reserve in Tanzania. There he found that the African Lions were not forced to mate with close relatives due to their large number.

Question: Would Gir forest see less or more inbreeding depression than Serengeti reserve?
Answer: more

Situation: Keith is a zoologist. He studies large predators. Last year, he was studying different species of lions. First, he visited the Gir forest in India. There he found the Asiatic Lions. Unfortunately, only few Asiatic Lions are left in the wild, and they have to mate with their close relatives. He then visited the Serengeti reserve in Tanzania. There he found that the African Lions were not forced to mate with close relatives due to their large number.

Question: Would Serengeti reserve see less or more inbreeding depression than Gir forest?
Answer: less

Situation: Keith is a zoologist. He studies large predators. Last year, he was studying different species of lions. First, he visited the Gir forest in India. There he found the Asiatic Lions. Unfortunately, only few Asiatic Lions are left in the wild, and they have to mate with their close relatives. He then visited the Serengeti reserve in Tanzania. There he found that the African Lions were not forced to mate with close relatives due to their large number.

Question: Which species of lion would have more deleterious recessive mutations, Asiatic or African?
Answer: Asiatic

Situation: Keith is a zoologist. He studies large predators. Last year, he was studying different species of lions. First, he visited the Gir forest in India. There he found the Asiatic Lions. Unfortunately, only few Asiatic Lions are left in the wild, and they have to mate with their close relatives. He then visited the Serengeti reserve in Tanzania. There he found that the African Lions were not forced to mate with close relatives due to their large number.

Question: Which species of lion would have less deleterious recessive mutations, Asiatic or African?
Answer: African

Situation: Keith is a zoologist. He studies large predators. Last year, he was studying different species of lions. First, he visited the Gir forest in India. There he found the Asiatic Lions. Unfortunately, only few Asiatic Lions are left in the wild, and they have to mate with their close relatives. He then visited the Serengeti reserve in Tanzania. There he found that the African Lions were not forced to mate with close relatives due to their large number.

Question: Would Asiatic lions have less or more deleterious recessive mutations than African lions?
Answer: more

Situation: Keith is a zoologist. He studies large predators. Last year, he was studying different species of lions. First, he visited the Gir forest in India. There he found the Asiatic Lions. Unfortunately, only few Asiatic Lions are left in the wild, and they have to mate with their close relatives. He then visited the Serengeti reserve in Tanzania. There he found that the African Lions were not forced to mate with close relatives due to their large number.

Question: Would African lions have less or more deleterious recessive mutations than Asiatic lions?
Answer: less

Situation: Keith is a zoologist. He studies large predators. Last year, he was studying different species of lions. First, he visited the Gir forest in India. There he found the Asiatic Lions. Unfortunately, only few Asiatic Lions are left in the wild, and they have to mate with their close relatives. He then visited the Serengeti reserve in Tanzania. There he found that the African Lions were not forced to mate with close relatives due to their large number.

Question: Which lion species would be more prone to inbreeding, Asiatic or African?
Answer: Asiatic

Situation: Keith is a zoologist. He studies large predators. Last year, he was studying different species of lions. First, he visited the Gir forest in India. There he found the Asiatic Lions. Unfortunately, only few Asiatic Lions are left in the wild, and they have to mate with their close relatives. He then visited the Serengeti reserve in Tanzania. There he found that the African Lions were not forced to mate with close relatives due to their large number.

Question: Which lion species would be less prone to inbreeding, Asiatic or African?
Answer: African