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Minimizing kinship in captive breeding programs
Author(s) -
Montgomery Margaret E.,
Ballou Jonathan D.,
Nurthen Roderick K.,
England Phillip R.,
Briscoe David A.,
Frankham Richard
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
zoo biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.5
H-Index - 54
eISSN - 1098-2361
pISSN - 0733-3188
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1098-2361(1997)16:5<377::aid-zoo1>3.0.co;2-7
Subject(s) - biology , inbreeding , genetic diversity , kinship , endangered species , evolutionary biology , captive breeding , microsatellite , reproductive success , diversity (politics) , effective population size , zoology , genetics , allele , population , genetic variation , demography , ecology , gene , sociology , habitat , political science , anthropology , law
Captive populations of endangered species are managed to preserve genetic diversity and retain reproductive fitness. Minimizing kinship (MK) has been predicted to maximize the retention of gene diversity in pedigreed populations with unequal founder representation. MK was compared with maximum avoidance of inbreeding (MAI) and random choice of parents (RAND) using Drosophila melanogaster . Forty replicate populations of each treatment were initiated with unequal founder representation and managed for four generations. MK retained significantly more gene diversity and allelic diversity based on six microsatellite loci and seven allozyme loci than MAI or RAND. Reproductive fitness under both benign and competitive conditions did not differ significantly among treatments. Of the methods considered, MK is currently the best available for the genetic management of captive populations. Zoo Biol 16:377–389, 1997. © 1997 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.