Partial selfing as an optimal mating strategy

Abstract

For a deterministic population genetic model, we have shown that partial selfing can be an optimal mating strategy. The only necessary assumption is that inbreeding depression in consecutive generations of selfing is described by a decreasing exponential function. The model gave an estimate of the expected selfing rate in a population with mixed mating and a known inbreeding depression function. Calculations were done for both a one-locus and a co-dominant two-locus model. There were unstable or stable polymorphic equilibria that were dependent on the selfing rate of the heterozygotes. The model was shown to be in good agreement with data on inbreeding depression and selfing rates from the literature. © The Genetical Society of Great Britain.