noun
Technical term in genetics and conservation biology for reduced fitness due to inbreeding.
近交退化は、遺伝的多様性の低下によって引き起こされる。
Inbreeding depression is caused by a reduction in genetic diversity.
近親交配 refers to the act of inbreeding itself, while 近交退化 refers to the resulting decline in fitness.
Compound of 近交 (inbreeding) and 退化 (degeneration). The exact historical derivation is uncertain; the term is a modern scientific coinage.