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Hereditary defects and conservation genetic management of captive populations
Author(s) -
Laikre Linda
Publication year - 1999
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(1999)18:2<81::aid-zoo1>3.0.co;2-2
Subject(s) - biology , allele , context (archaeology) , population , captive breeding , genetics , founder effect , evolutionary biology , zoology , endangered species , demography , ecology , gene , paleontology , sociology , habitat , haplotype
The occurrence of hereditary disorders in conservation breeding programs may severely hamper the overall aim of such programs. The obstacles that arise in this context and the particular management strategies needed to deal with the problems are yet to be adequately addressed. Results from a literature review indicate that hereditary disorders may be fairly common in zoo populations. An example with albinism in a captive brown bear population bred in Nordic zoos is presented. It is demonstrated that the segregation pattern is consistent with an autosomal recessive allele, and carrier probabilities of live animals indicate that the allele occurs in high frequency in the present population. Removing animals with a probability of carrying the allele will result in loss of founder alleles considered particularly valuable. Zoo Biol 18:81–99, 1999. © 1999 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.