- Inbreeding is the production of offspring from the mating or breeding of individuals or organisms which are closely related genetically.
- Inbreeding increases the chances of offspring being affected by recessive or deleterious traits. This generally leads to a decreased biological fitness of a population.
- Inbreeding can occur just because a small population has been isolated during some time, so that all breeding individuals became genetically related.
- The reduced genetic diversity that results from inbreeding may mean a species may not be able to adapt to changes in environmental conditions. Each individual will have similar immune systems, as immune systems are genetically based. Where a species becomes endangered, the population may fall below a minimum whereby the forced interbreeding between the remaining animals will result in extinction.