Continued decline in genetic diversity among wild cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus) without further loss of semen quality
| Autor: | Stephen J. O'Brien, Warren E. Johnson, Laurie Marker, Kimberly A. Terrell, Nicola M. Anthony, Adrienne E. Crosier, David E. Wildt |
|---|---|
| Rok vydání: | 2016 |
| Předmět: |
0106 biological sciences
0301 basic medicine Genetic diversity education.field_of_study biology Population Zoology 010603 evolutionary biology 01 natural sciences 03 medical and health sciences Semen quality 030104 developmental biology Population bottleneck biology.animal Captive breeding Inbreeding depression Acinonyx jubatus education Inbreeding Ecology Evolution Behavior and Systematics Nature and Landscape Conservation |
| Zdroj: | Biological Conservation. 200:192-199 |
| ISSN: | 0006-3207 |
| DOI: | 10.1016/j.biocon.2016.05.034 |
| Popis: | As a well-studied felid with limited genetic diversity, the cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) has shaped much of the scientific debate surrounding inbreeding depression. The species survived a population bottleneck ~ 12,000 years ago and was extirpated from > 75% of its historical range in the last century. Modern cheetahs produce poor-quality semen, a presumed manifestation of inbreeding depression. Within Felidae, a positive association between genetic diversity and semen quality is well supported by pedigree data and inter-species comparisons. However, this relationship has never been examined among individual cheetahs. Furthermore, whether ongoing population declines are exacerbating inbreeding depression in wild or captive cheetah populations is unknown. Using 12 microsatellite markers, we evaluated the relationship between heterozygosity and reproductive traits among wild (n = 54) and captive (n = 43) male cheetahs born from 1976–2007. We tested the hypotheses that genetic diversity has declined over the last ~ 30 years and is positively correlated with semen quality/breeding success in the cheetah. Findings revealed that genetic diversity has decreased in the wild, but not captive, population. Unexpectedly, heterozygosity was lower in proven versus unproven breeders and did not correlate with semen quality. A small proportion of all males ( |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
| Externí odkaz: |
|
Full Text from ScienceDirect