Elsner-Gearing, F. orcid.org/0000-0002-8811-8198, Kretzschmar, P., Shultz, S. et al. (7 more authors) (2024) Admixture and reproductive skew shape the conservation value of ex situ populations of the Critically Endangered eastern black rhino. Conservation Genetics, 25 (4). pp. 897-910. ISSN 1566-0621
Abstract
Small populations of endangered species risk losing already eroded genetic diversity, important for adaptive potential, through the effects of genetic drift. The magnitude of drift can be mitigated by maximising the effective population size, as is the goal of genetic management strategies. Different mating systems, specifically those leading to reproductive skew, exacerbate genetic drift by distorting contributions. In the absence of an active management strategy, reproductive skew will have long-term effects on the genetic composition of a population, particularly where admixture is present. Here we examine the contrasting effects of conservation management strategies in two ex situ populations of the Critically Endangered eastern black rhino (Diceros bicornis michaeli), one managed as a semi-wild population in South Africa (SAx), and one managed under a mean-kinship breeding strategy in European zoos. We use molecular data to reconstruct pedigrees for both populations and validate the method using the zoo studbook. Using the reconstructed pedigree and studbook we show there is male sex-specific skew in both populations. However, the zoo’s mean-kinship breeding strategy effectively reduces reproductive skew in comparison to a semi-wild population with little genetic management. We also show that strong male reproductive skew in SAx has resulted in extensive admixture, which may require a re-evaluation of the population’s original intended role in the black rhino meta-population. With a high potential for admixture in many ex situ populations of endangered species, molecular and pedigree data remain vital tools for populations needing to balance drift and selection.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © The Author(s) 2024. This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article's Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article's Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/. |
Keywords: | Reproductive skew; Admixture; Pedigree; Black rhino; Ex situ; Breeding |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Sheffield |
Academic Units: | The University of Sheffield > Faculty of Science (Sheffield) > School of Biosciences (Sheffield) |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Sheffield |
Date Deposited: | 23 Jul 2024 09:06 |
Last Modified: | 23 Jul 2024 09:06 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | Springer Science and Business Media LLC |
Refereed: | Yes |
Identification Number: | 10.1007/s10592-024-01611-z |
Related URLs: | |
Sustainable Development Goals: | |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:215014 |