CHOOSING MATES IMPORTANT IN BREEDING PROGRAMS The problem with breeding programs that supplement fisheries is the fish cannot chose their mates, says Claus Wedekind of the University of Edinburgh in the United Kingdom. It's a real problem that may hamper efforts to conserve endangered species. In the wild, animals choose their mates and the benefits include increased resistance to disease among offspring. "Circumventing mate choice is likely to have negative consequences for the genetics of a population," Wedekind says in the October issue of Conservation Biology. "Males often are not equal with respect to genetic quality and female mate choice may be taking this into account." Wedekind and colleagues previously found mate choice can increase the survival of young whitefish bred in hatcheries. Currently, most breeding programs for small populations focus on preserving genetic variation by minimizing inbreeding. Wedekind argues as a population grows, managers should also start preserving genetic quality by incorporating mate choice. UPI arcmax.com, 9/25/02 Remember we are NOT Doctors and have NO medical training. This site is like an Encylopedia - there are many pages, many links on many topics. Support our work with any size DONATION - see left side of any page - for how to donate. You can help raise awareness of CAM.