Data from: Little evidence of inbreeding depression for birth mass, survival and growth in Antarctic fur seal pups

This data repository contains: "msats_growth_individuals.xlsx" - Microsatellite data (39 loci) of Antarctic fur seals "pup_growth_2017-2020.xlsx" - Birth weight and tagging weight data for pups collected in 2017-2020. "Rebeccas_Samples_Mendel_OriginalPedigree" - SNP array data (75k SNPs) in PLINK format for a subset of individuals "GrowthRM_BI1820_Day60.new.csv" - Repeated weight measures for a subset of individuals Manuscript abstract Inbreeding depression, the loss of offspring fitness due to consanguineous mating, is generally detrimental for individual performance and population viability. We therefore investigated inbreeding effects in a declining population of Antarctic fur seals (Arctocephalus gazella) at Bird Island, South Georgia. Here, localised warming has reduced the availability of the seal’s staple diet, Antarctic krill, leading to a temporal increase in the strength of selection against inbred offspring, which are increasingly failing to recruit into the adult breeding population. However, it remains unclear whether selection operates before or after nutritional independence at weaning. We therefore used microsatellite data from 885 pups and their mothers, and SNP array data from 98 mother-offspring pairs, to quantify the effects of individual and maternal inbreeding on three important neonatal fitness traits: birth mass, survival and growth. We did not find any clear or consistent effects of offspring or maternal inbreeding on any of these traits. This suggests that selection filters inbred individuals out of the population as juveniles during the time window between weaning and recruitment. Our study brings into focus a poorly understood life-history stage and emphasises the importance of understanding the ecology and threats facing juvenile pinnipeds. Funding This research was supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) priority programme “Antarctic Research with Comparative Investigations in Arctic Ice Areas” SPP 1158 (project number 424119118) and the SFB TRR 212 (NC³) (Project Numbers 316099922 & 396774617). This work contributes to the Ecosystems project of the British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environmental Research Council, and is part of the Polar Science for Planet Earth Programme.本数据集仓库包含以下内容： "msats_growth_individuals.xlsx" —— 南极海狗的微卫星数据（39个基因座） "pup_growth_2017-2020.xlsx" —— 2017至2020年采集的海狗幼崽出生体重与打标体重数据 "Rebeccas_Samples_Mendel_OriginalPedigree" —— 针对部分个体的PLINK格式单核苷酸多态性（Single Nucleotide Polymorphism, SNP）芯片数据（75k个SNP） "GrowthRM_BI1820_Day60.new.csv" —— 部分个体的重复体重测量数据 ## 手稿摘要 近交衰退指近亲交配导致后代适合度下降，通常会对个体生存表现与种群存续产生不利影响。本研究针对南乔治亚州鸟岛（Bird Island, South Georgia）一处正在衰退的南极海狗（*Arctocephalus gazella*）种群展开近交效应研究。当地区域性变暖已导致该海狗的主食南极磷虾（Antarctic krill）可获得性下降，进而使得针对近交后代的选择压力随时间推移增强，此类近交后代愈发难以成功招募进入成年繁殖种群。然而目前仍不清楚，选择作用是发生在幼崽断奶前还是断奶后（即营养独立阶段前后）。为此，研究团队利用885只幼崽及其母兽的微卫星数据，以及98对母兽-后代的SNP芯片数据，量化了个体近交与母兽近交对三项关键新生幼崽适合度性状的影响：出生体重、存活率与生长速率。研究未发现后代或母兽近交对上述任一性状存在明确且一致的影响。这一结果表明，选择作用会在幼崽断奶至成功招募的窗口期内，将近交个体从种群中筛选淘汰。本研究聚焦于一个尚缺乏深入认知的生活史阶段，并强调了理解鳍足类幼崽所面临的生态威胁与生存压力的重要性。 ## 资助说明 本研究得到德国研究联合会（Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, DFG）优先项目“北极冰区对比研究下的南极科研”SPP 1158（项目编号：424119118）以及SFB TRR 212（NC³）（项目编号：316099922与396774617）的支持。本研究隶属于英国南极调查局的生态系统项目（由自然环境研究委员会资助），同时也是“地球极地科学计划（Polar Science for Planet Earth Programme）”的组成部分。