Small effective population sizes of two remnant ocelot populations (Leopardus pardalis albescens) in the United States
Threatened populations are vulnerable to the effects of genetic drift and inbreeding, particularly when gene flow is low and the effective population size is small. Estimates of effective population size (Ne) provide important information on the status of endangered populations that have experienced severe fragmentation and serve as indicators of genetic viability. Genetic data from […]
Genetic variability and population differentiation in captive baird’s Tapirs (Tapirus bairdii)
Abstract 10.1002/zoo.20031.abs The objectives of this study were to assess the level of genetic variability and population differentiation within captive populations of an endangered large mammal, Baird’s tapir (Tapirus bairdii). We genotyped 37 captive animals from North American (NA) and Central American (CA) zoos and conservation ranches using six polymorphic microsatellite loci. Standard indices of […]
Genetic diversity analysis of captive populations: The Vietnamese sika deer (Cervus nippon pseudaxis) in zoological parks
Abstract 10.1002/zoo.10091.abs The Vietnamese sika deer (Cervus nippon pseudaxis) is an endangered subspecies; it has disappeared in the wild, but is being bred in zoological parks. We studied the neutral genetic diversity and population structure of herds kept in different European zoos, using nine microsatellite loci. The goal was to evaluate the consequences of founding […]
Effective population size in the captive breeding program of the Lake Victoria cichlid Paralabidochromis chilotes
Abstract 10.1002/(SICI)1098-2361(1999)18:33.3.CO;2-4 Microsatellite DNA markers were used to monitor levels of genetic variation in 3 generations of the American Zoo and Aquarium Association [AZA] Species Survival Plan [SSP] captive breeding program for the Lake Victoria cichlid Paralabidochromis chilotes. Temporal changes in the frequency of 15 alleles, across four polymorphic loci, were used to estimate effective […]
Genetic evaluation of the three captive mexican wolf lineages
Abstract 10.1002/(SICI)1098-2361(1997)16:13.3.CO;2-7 The Mexican gray wolf appears to be extinct in the wild and exists now only in captivity. There are three captive putative Mexican wolf lineages: Certified, Ghost Ranch, and Aragón lineages. From pedigree analysis, the Certified lineage has the lowest level of inbreeding and has retained the most founder alleles. In contrast, the […]
Genetic structure analysis of a highly inbred captive population of the African antelope Addax nasomaculatus. Conservation and management implications
Abstract The African antelope Addax nasomaculatus is a rare mammal at high risk of extinction, with no more than 300 individuals in the wild and 1,700 captive animals distributed in zoos around the world. In this work, we combine genetic data and genealogical information to assess the structure and genetic diversity of a captive population […]
Lineage identification and genealogical relationships among captive Galápagos tortoises
Genetic tools have become a critical complement to traditional approaches for meeting short- and long-term goals of ex situ conservation programs. The San Diego Zoo (SDZ) harbors a collection of wild-born and captive-born Galápagos giant tortoises (n = 22) of uncertain species designation and unknown genealogical relationships. Here, we used mitochondrial DNA haplotypic data and […]
Comparison of the genetic variation of captive ring-tailed lemurs with a wild population in Madagascar
Genetic variability among captive and wild ring-tailed lemurs (Lemur catta) was assessed using mitochondrial and nuclear DNA data. A 529 bp segment of mtDNA was sequenced and 9 microsatellite loci were genotyped for 286 ring-tailed lemurs. Samples were obtained from the well-studied L. catta population at the Bezà Mahafaly Special Reserve and from captive animals at […]
Chromosomal variation and perinatal mortality in San Diego zoo Soemmerring’s gazelles
Chromosomal translocations play a fundamental role in the evolution and speciation of antelopes (Antilopinae, Bovidae), with several species exhibiting polymorphism for centric fusions. For the past 35 years, the San Diego Zoo Global (SDZG) captive population of Soemmerring’s gazelles has revealed complex karyotypes resulting from chromosomal translocations with diploid numbers ranging from 34 to 39. […]
Saving the mountain bongo (Tragelaphus eurycerus isaaci): Assessment of the genetic status of captive bongos as a source for genetic reinforcement of wild populations
The genetic diversity of mountain bongos from the European Endangered Species Programme (EEP) was assessed in this study. There are less than 140 wild individuals of this rareand critically endangered African antelope, which has eroded genetic diversity, with only two haplotypes detected with mitochondrial DNA markers in wild populations. Genetic diversity of ten captive individuals […]