Restoring faith in conservation action: Maintaining wild genetic diversity through the Tasmanian devil insurance program.

Autor:	Farquharson KA; School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia., McLennan EA; School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia., Cheng Y; School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia., Alexander L; School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia., Fox S; Save the Tasmanian Devil Program, NRE Tasmania, Hobart, Tas 7001, Australia.; Toledo Zoo, 2605 Broadway, Toledo, OH 43609, USA., Lee AV; Save the Tasmanian Devil Program, NRE Tasmania, Hobart, Tas 7001, Australia.; Toledo Zoo, 2605 Broadway, Toledo, OH 43609, USA., Belov K; School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia., Hogg CJ; School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia.; San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, PO BOX 120551, San Diego, CA 92112, USA.
Jazyk:	angličtina
Zdroj:	IScience [iScience] 2022 May 26; Vol. 25 (7), pp. 104474. Date of Electronic Publication: 2022 May 26 (Print Publication: 2022).
DOI:	10.1016/j.isci.2022.104474
Abstrakt:	Conservation breeding programs aim to maintain 90% wild genetic diversity, but rarely assess functional diversity. Here, we compare both genome-wide and functional diversity (in over 500 genes) of Tasmanian devils ( Sarcophilus harrisii ) within the insurance metapopulation and across the species' range (64,519 km 2 ). Populations have declined by 80% since 1996 due to a contagious cancer, devil facial tumor disease (DFTD). However, predicted local extinctions have not occurred. Recent suggestions of selection for "resistance" alleles in the wild precipitated concerns that insurance population devils may be unsuitable for translocations. Using 830 wild samples collected at 31 locations between 2012 and 2021, and 553 insurance metapopulation devils, we show that the insurance metapopulation is representative of current wild genetic diversity. Allele frequencies at DFTD-associated loci were not substantially different between captive and wild devils. Methods presented here are valuable for others investigating evolutionary potential in threatened species, particularly ones under significant selective pressures. Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest. (© 2022 The Author(s).)
Databáze:	MEDLINE
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