2020/03/06 by Kristin M. Hinkson, Sinlan Poo
Agricultural and Biological Sciences · Environmental Science · #Amphibian and Reptile Biology #Animal Behavior and Reproduction #Wildlife Ecology and Conservation
paper · doi:10.1002/zoo.21538
openalex publication_date 2020/03/06 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/01
Small, isolated populations often experience increased inbreeding and decreased heterozygosity, which increases the potential risk of inbreeding depression. The relationship between inbreeding and sperm health is well-documented in a variety of taxa, but has yet to be explored in amphibians. The dusky gopher frog, Lithobates sevosus, is a critically endangered species with years of documented inbreeding and low genetic variability as a consequence of isolation and population size reduction. This study investigated the effects of inbreeding on sperm quality in captive L. sevosus using an outbred, sister species (Lithobates pipiens) as a standard for comparison. We found L. sevosus to have severely reduced sperm quality in terms of total motility, forward progressive motility, concentration, and viability. Additionally, we observed a significant, negative relationship between total sperm motility and mean kinship within captive-bred individuals. These data serve to enhance our understanding of the role inbreeding plays in amphibians, and to provide valuable insight into new risk factors declining amphibian populations may face.