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Genomic erosion in a demographically recovered bird species during conservation rescue |
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| Authors: | Hazel A. Jackson Lawrence Percival-Alwyn Camilla Ryan Mohammed F. Albeshr Luca Venturi Hernán E. Morales Thomas C. Mathers Jonathan Cocker Samuel A. Speak Gonzalo G. Accinelli Tom Barker Darren Heavens Faye Willman Deborah Dawson Lauren Ward Vikash Tatayah Nicholas Zuël Richard Young Lianne Concannon Harriet Whitford Bernardo Clavijo Nancy Bunbury Kevin M. Tyler Kevin Ruhomaun Molly K. Grace Michael W. Bruford Carl G. Jones Simon Tollington Diana J. Bell Jim J. Groombridge Matt Clark Cock Van Oosterhout |
| Affiliation: | 1. Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology, School of Anthropology and Conservation, University of Kent, Canterbury, UK;2. NIAB, Cambridge, UK;3. School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK The Earlham Institute, Norwich, UK;4. School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK;5. Department of Life Sciences, The Natural History Museum, London, UK;6. GLOBE Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark;7. Department of Crop Genetics, John Innes Centre, Norwich, UK;8. The Earlham Institute, Norwich, UK School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK;9. School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK;10. The Earlham Institute, Norwich, UK;11. Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology, School of Anthropology and Conservation, University of Kent, Canterbury, UK Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, London, UK;12. NERC Biomolecular Analysis Facility, Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK;13. Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology, School of Anthropology and Conservation, University of Kent, Canterbury, UK NERC Biomolecular Analysis Facility, Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK;14. Mauritian Wildlife Foundation, Vacoas-Phoenix, Mauritius;15. Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, Jersey, Channel Islands;16. Seychelles Islands Foundation, Victoria, Seychelles Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn, UK;17. Norwich Medical School, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK;18. National Parks and Conservation Service, Ministry of Environment, Government of Mauritius, Réduit, Mauritius;19. Molly K. Grace, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK;20. School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK;21. Mauritian Wildlife Foundation, Vacoas-Phoenix, Mauritius Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, Jersey, Channel Islands |
| Abstract: | The pink pigeon (Nesoenas mayeri) is an endemic species of Mauritius that has made a remarkable recovery after a severe population bottleneck in the 1970s to early 1990s. Prior to this bottleneck, an ex situ population was established from which captive-bred individuals were released into free-living subpopulations to increase population size and genetic variation. This conservation rescue led to rapid population recovery to 400–480 individuals, and the species was twice downlisted on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List. We analyzed the impacts of the bottleneck and genetic rescue on neutral genetic variation during and after population recovery (1993–2008) with restriction site-associated sequencing, microsatellite analyses, and quantitative genetic analysis of studbook data of 1112 birds from zoos in Europe and the United States. We used computer simulations to study the predicted changes in genetic variation and population viability from the past into the future. Genetic variation declined rapidly, despite the population rebound, and the effective population size was approximately an order of magnitude smaller than census size. The species carried a high genetic load of circa 15 lethal equivalents for longevity. Our computer simulations predicted continued inbreeding will likely result in increased expression of deleterious mutations (i.e., a high realized load) and severe inbreeding depression. Without continued conservation actions, it is likely that the pink pigeon will go extinct in the wild within 100 years. Conservation rescue of the pink pigeon has been instrumental in the recovery of the free-living population. However, further genetic rescue with captive-bred birds from zoos is required to recover lost variation, reduce expression of harmful deleterious variation, and prevent extinction. The use of genomics and modeling data can inform IUCN assessments of the viability and extinction risk of species, and it helps in assessments of the conservation dependency of populations. |
| Keywords: | captive breeding genetic diversity genetic management genetic rescue Nesoenas mayeri diversidad genética manejo genético reproducción en cautiverio rescate genético Nesoenas mayeri |