Unpedigreed populations and worst-case scenarios
Abstract 10.1002/zoo.1030.abs A population in which parentage information is not recorded is considered a pedigree “black hole” in terms of genetic management. Integration of animals from such an unpedigreed population into a genetically managed population is often accomplished by assuming a worst-case scenario and recording all animals as highly interrelated (e.g., full siblings). The assumption […]
Electrophoretic and chromosomal variation in captive Asian elephants (Elephas maximus)
Abstract 10.1002/zoo.1430140202.abs To investigate genetic diversity in captive Asian elephants (Elephas maximus), a total of 26 individuals from zoos in the German cities of Berlin, Hamburg, and Leipzig, and from Zürich, Switzerland, were investigated for electrophoretic variation at 44 presumptive blood protein and enzyme coding loci. The proportion of polymorphic loci (P = 4.6%) and […]
Use of DNA fingerprinting in planning a breeding program for the riverine rabbit (Bunolagus monticularis)
Abstract 10.1002/zoo.1430130305.abs The riverine rabbit (Bunolagus monticularis) is an endangered and endemic species found within a small geographic range in semiarid southern Africa. A captive breeding program has been initiated for reintroducing rabbits into suitable but vacant habitat. DNA fingerprinting was used to identify individuals within a captive group suitable for inclusion in a larger […]
DNA “fingerprints” and paternity ascertainment in chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes)
Abstract 10.1002/zoo.1430090203.abs Highly variable regions of DNA are found in a wide diversity of organisms and are typically composed of alleles consisting of a variable number of tandem repeats (VNTRs) of a short core sequence. DNA fingerprinting probes are VNTR probes that simultaneously detect a large number of similar VNTRs in the target DNA. The […]
Analysis of founder representation in pedigrees: Founder equivalents and founder genome equivalents
Abstract 10.1002/zoo.1430080203.abs The concepts of “founder equivalent” and “founder genome equivalent” are introduced to facilitate analysis of the founding stocks of captive or other populations for which pedigrees are available. The founder equivalents of a population are the number of equally contributing founders that would be expected to produce the same genetic diversity as in […]
A Suite of Microsatellite Markers Optimized for Amplification of DNA From Addax (Addax nasomaculatus) Blood Preserved on FTA Cards
The addax (Addax nasomaculatus) is a critically endangered antelope that is currently maintained in zoos through regional, conservation breeding programs. As for many captive species, incomplete pedigree data currently impedes the ability of addax breeding programs to confidently manage the genetics of captive populations and to select appropriate animals for reintroduction. Molecular markers are often […]
Population Genetics of the Washington National Primate Research Center’s (WaNPRC) Captive Pigtailed Macaque (Macaca nemestrina) Population
Pigtailed macaques (Macaca nemestrina) provide an important model for biomedical research on human disease and for studying the evolution of primate behavior. The genetic structure of captive populations of pigtailed macaques is not as well described as that of captive rhesus (M. mulatta) or cynomolgus (M. fascicularis) macaques. The Washington National Primate Research Center houses […]
Allegheny woodrat (Neotoma magister) captive propagation to promote recovery of declining populations
The Allegheny woodrat (Neotoma magister) is endemic to the eastern United States with local distributions restricted to rocky habitats within deciduous forests. Over the last 40 years, woodrats have declined precipitously due to an array of human-mediated pressures. There is growing interest in the captive propagation of woodrats as a tool to promote in situ […]
Long term vs. short term impact of founder relatedness on gene diversity and inbreeding within the European Endangered Species Programme (EEP) of the red panda (Ailurus f. fulgens)
Traditionally, studbooks have been used as the major tool for the scientific management of ex-situ populations organised in breeding programmes. Well documented pedigree information enables managers to sufficiently monitor population size, demographic stability and the level of genetic diversity. However, breeding programes can only maintain the genetic information which is brought into captivity by wild […]