Research overview: inbreeding avoidance through dispersal in felids

Sex-biased dispersal is widely interpreted as a mechanism that reduces the chance of mating with close relatives, helping felids avoid the fitness costs of inbreeding. This overview surveys evidence that dispersal patterns, particularly male-biased movement away from natal areas, separate opposite-sex kin before they reach breeding age. It considers complementary behavioral mechanisms of kin recognition and mate choice and how these jointly limit inbreeding. The review discusses how habitat fragmentation that blocks dispersal can elevate inbreeding and its reproductive costs, as documented in small isolated populations. Understanding inbreeding avoidance through dispersal links behavioral ecology to conservation genetics and underscores why maintaining connectivity is essential for the long-term reproductive health of felid populations.