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Genetic evaluation of the captive breeding program of the Persian wild ass
Author(s) -
Nielsen R. K.,
Pertoldi C.,
Loeschcke V.
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
journal of zoology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.915
H-Index - 96
eISSN - 1469-7998
pISSN - 0952-8369
DOI - 10.1111/j.1469-7998.2007.00294.x
Subject(s) - biology , captive breeding , inbreeding depression , inbreeding , microsatellite , endangered species , population , zoology , conservation genetics , breeding program , pedigree chart , effective population size , evolutionary biology , genetic load , ecology , genetics , genetic variation , demography , habitat , allele , sociology , gene , horticulture , cultivar
During the last century, many species have become endangered and conservation in terms of captive breeding has been crucial for their survival. Classical management of captive species is based on recorded genealogies. However, if pedigrees are incomplete or inaccurate, it can bias the interpretation of the results obtained from analyses based on such data. In this investigation, 12 microsatellite loci were investigated to evaluate the studbook information of the critically endangered Persian wild ass, Equus hemionus onager . Relatedness and inbreeding coefficients were calculated in order to compare the same coefficients estimated from the recorded studbook. A significant correlation between coefficients obtained by microsatellites and the studbook validates the recorded studbook as a reasonable tool for future genetic management. Furthermore, a Bayesian‐based method divided the captive onager population into four subgroups that indicate departure from random mating, and thus minor rotation of animals between zoos. Lastly, analyses for inferring past demographic changes revealed a gradual population decline and inbreeding over several generations. This may indicate a low genetic load in captive onagers as a consequence of some degree of purging. Consequently, the risk of inbreeding depression should currently be minimal in the captive breeding program. Therefore, it is recommended to increase the connectivity between the four subgroups of onagers in order to reduce the risk of demographic and genetic stochasticity. This study underlines the importance of using molecular markers to evaluate genetic management of captive breeding programs.