Low persistence of genetic rescue across generations in the Arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus)

Genetic rescue can facilitate the recovery of small and isolated populations suffering from inbreeding depression. Long-term effects are however complex and examples spanning over multiple generations under natural conditions are scarce. The aim of this study was to test for long-term effects of natural genetic rescue in a small population of Scandinavian Arctic foxes (Vulpes lagopus). By combining a genetically verified pedigree covering almost 20 years with a long-term dataset on individual fitness (n=837 individuals), we found no evidence for elevated fitness in immigrant F2 and F3 compared to native inbred foxes. Population inbreeding levels showed a fluctuating increasing trend and emergence of inbreeding within immigrant lineages shortly after immigration. Between 0-5 and 6-9 years post immigration, the average population size decreased by almost 22 % and the average proportion of immigrant ancestry rose from 14 % to 27 %. Y chromosome analysis revealed that two out of three nativ...