Comparative Genetic Diversity of Captive-Born Gorillas
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Fewer than 140 individuals of the rare and critically endangered mountain bongo (Tragelaphus
eurycerus isaaci) remain in the wild. This population has eroded genetic diversity, with only two
haplotypes detected with mitochondrial DNA markers. The genetic diversity of mountain bongos from
the European Endangered Species Programme (EEP) was assessed for this study. Genetic diversity of 10
captive individuals was measured by sequencing a portion of the mitochondrial DNA control region; the
resulting sequences were compared to published data from this subspecies and used to establish levels
of haplotype-sharing between wild and captive populations. Our data show that captive mountain
bongo populations harbour a rare haplotype that is found in less than 5% of individuals in some wild
populations and is absent in others. The findings suggest that captive individuals harbour valuable
genetic diversity, making them potentially valuable candidates for a reintroduction programme to
help reinforce the gene pools of wild populations. We further propose a two-way approach that also
involves introducing wild individuals into captive populations, with the goal of maintaining the genetic
health of both in situ and ex situ populations.
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Captive breeding
mtDNA control region
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This is the first study analyzing genetic diversity in captive individuals of the endangered black lion tamarin, Leontopithecus chrysopygus, and also comparing genetic diversity parameters between wild populations and captive groups using the same set of molecular markers. We evaluated genetic diversity and differentiation for the Brazilian and European captive groups and a wild population through 15 polymorphic microsatellite markers. The genetic diversity levels were similar among Brazilian captive, European captive and wild animals from the National Forest of Capão Bonito. Expected heterozygosity showed values ranging from 0.403 to 0.462, and significant differences were not observed among the populations. Different allele frequencies were observed among the groups, which showed the presence of distinct private alleles. The PCoA analysis evidenced three main clusters suggesting that the captive Brazilian and European groups are markedly differentiated both from one another and from the wild population of Capão Bonito. Likewise, the most likely number of genetic clusters (K) revealed by Structure was three. Such a structure is probably the result of the strength of drift and non-random reproduction in these small and isolated groups. Despite this differentiation, all groups still have similar genetic diversity levels, comparable to other callitrichids. The data obtained herein are important to increasing knowledge of the genetics of tamarins and supporting breeding programs to prevent loss of genetic diversity and inbreeding depression.
Callitrichidae
Captive breeding
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Histocompatibility
Gorilla
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Gorilla
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Characterization
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Captivity
Captive breeding
Effective population size
Conservation Genetics
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This study investigates the morphology and genetic diversity of the critically endangered sub-species, the western lowland gorilla (Gorilla gorilla gorilla). Regional variation of a historic wild population was assessed morphologically and genetically, and genetic comparisons between this and a contemporary captive population were made to assess the genetic fitness of the contemporary population with the aim of assisting future conservation planning.
Geometric morphometric analyses were applied to skulls and mandibles of both sexes in the historic population of gorillas to assess regional variation in relation to size and shape. No significant difference was found for regional size comparisons but shape variation between regions did find significant variation in skull morphology, particularly for males.
MtDNA and nuclear markers were employed to detect regional differentiation in the historic population of gorillas, and to compare genetic diversity between historic and contemporary populations. The mtDNA results were hindered by nuclear insertions (numts) yet 30 sequences of the mitochondrial Control Region Hypervariable Region I (HVI) were obtained and haplogroups identified, which revealed potential differences in the historic distribution of haplogroups than current literature reports.
Nuclear analysis based on microsatellites confirmed that all the gorillas used in this study were western lowland gorillas. Furthermore, the paternity of individuals in the contemporary population was confirmed. Comparisons between the historical population and the captive US population showed that genetic diversity of the contemporary population had been retained at similar levels to wild populations and the US captive population thus concluding that the contemporary population is genetically sustainable for the foreseeable future.
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Population fragmentation
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Population Genetics
mtDNA control region
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Abstract Empirical support for the genetic management strategies employed by captive breeding and reintroduction programs is scarce. We evaluated the genetic management plan for the highly endangered black‐footed ferret ( Mustela nigripes ) developed by the American Zoo and Aquarium Associations (AZA) as a part of the species survival plan (SSP). We contrasted data collected from five microsatellite loci to predictions from a pedigree‐based kinship matrix analysis of the captive black‐footed ferret population. We compared genetic diversity among captive populations managed for continued captive breeding or reintroduction, and among wild‐born individuals from two reintroduced populations. Microsatellite data gave an accurate but only moderately precise estimate of heterozygosity. Genetic diversity was similar in captive populations maintained for breeding and release, and it appears that the recovery program will achieve its goal of maintaining 80% of the genetic diversity of the founder population over 25 years. Wild‐born individuals from reintroduced populations maintained genetic diversity and avoided close inbreeding. We detected small but measurable genetic differentiation between the reintroduced populations. The model of random mating predicted only slightly lower levels of heterozygosity retention compared to the SSP strategy. The random mating strategy may be a viable alternative for managing large, stable, captive populations such as that of the black‐footed ferret. Zoo Biol 22:287–298, 2003. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Captive breeding
Genetic monitoring
Effective population size
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Genetic tools have become a critical complement to traditional approaches for meeting short- and long-term goals of ex situ conservation programs. The San Diego Zoo (SDZ) harbors a collection of wild-born and captive-born Galápagos giant tortoises (n = 22) of uncertain species designation and unknown genealogical relationships. Here, we used mitochondrial DNA haplotypic data and nuclear microsatellite genotypic data to identify the evolutionary lineage of wild-born and captive-born tortoises of unknown ancestry, to infer levels of relatedness among founders and captive-born tortoises, and assess putative pedigree relationships assigned by the SDZ studbook. Assignment tests revealed that 12 wild-born and five captive-born tortoises represent five different species from Isabela Island and one species from Santa Cruz Island, only five of which were consistent with current studbook designations. Three wild-born and one captive-born tortoise were of mixed ancestry. In addition, kinship analyses revealed two significant first-order relationship pairs between wild-born and captive-born tortoises, four second-order relationships (half-sibling) between wild-born and captive tortoises (full-sibs or parent-offspring), and one second-order relationship between two captive-born tortoises. Of particular note, we also reconstructed a first-order relationship between two wild-born individuals, violating the founder assumption. Overall, our results contribute to a worldwide effort in identifying genetically important Galápagos tortoises currently in captivity while revealing closely related founders, reconstructing genealogical relationships, and providing detailed management recommendations for the SDZ tortoises.
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Tortoise
Captive breeding
Lineage (genetic)
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