It’s a distressing fact that human activities are causing the wide-scale extinction of other species on earth. Something you may not know, however, is that the fewer animals there are in a given species, the more at risk that species is — and not just because it’s easier for a small group to disappear than a large group. Another danger is inbreeding. Inbreeding is the term used when animals mate with their relatives. All animals, including humans, inherit half their genes from their mothers and half from their fathers. Within certain limits, it’s good for offspring to have a father whose genetic makeup is significantly different from its mother’s. It’s kind of like poker. Reshuffling the deck makes it more likely you’ll draw a good hand by chance. If the deck were only sixteen cards, each of which appeared twice, the chances of getting a good hand would be much lower.