scholarly journals Firefly Translocation: A Case Study of Genetic and Behavioral Evaluation in Thailand

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anchana Thancharoen
Keyword(s):  
Success Rate ◽  
Captive Breeding ◽  
Large Population ◽  
Metropolitan Region ◽  
Success Rates ◽  
Captive Populations ◽  
In Captivity ◽  
In The Wild ◽  
Threatened Fauna

Conservation translocation is frequently used to conserve the threatened fauna by releasing individuals from the wild or captive populations into a particular area. This approach, however, is not successful in many cases because the translocated populations could not self-sustain in the new habitats. In this chapter, I reviewed the concept of translocation for conservation and the factors associated with the success rate. I used example problems from several cases involving different insect taxa. With its often high potential to mass rear in captivity, captive breeding can be a powerful tool by assuring large population size for insect translocation, which can result in a high success rate. However, genetic consequences from inbreeding and genetic adaptation to captivity can reduce the fitness of the captive population to establish successfully in the wild. Additionally, as the evidence in Japanese fireflies shows, the genetic differences between the translocated and local populations should be considered for a sustainable translocation program. A case study involved genetic and behavioral evaluation of S. aquatilis populations to assess the possibility of including the species for the firefly translocation program in Thailand. Although the results revealed no genetic variation among populations, examination of the variation in flash signals showed that the long-distance population had a longer courtship flash pulse than other populations in the Bangkok Metropolitan Region. With no geographical barrier, the light pollution and urbanization are probably important fragmented barriers causing adaptation of flash communication to increase the fitness. As a consequence, firefly translocation should consider flash variation between populations to prevent this potential pre-mating isolation mechanism from resulting in probable lower translocation success rates.

scholarly journals Somewhat saved: a captive breeding programme for two endemic Christmas Island lizard species, now extinct in the wild

Oryx ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 52 (1) ◽  
pp. 171-174 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul Andrew ◽  
Hal Cogger ◽  
Don Driscoll ◽  
Samantha Flakus ◽  
Peter Harlow ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Native Species ◽  
Captive Breeding ◽  
Biodiversity Loss ◽  
Breeding Programme ◽  
Lizard Species ◽  
Christmas Island ◽  
Captive Populations ◽  
Captive Breeding Programme ◽  
In Captivity ◽  
In The Wild

AbstractAs with many islands, Christmas Island in the Indian Ocean has suffered severe biodiversity loss. Its terrestrial lizard fauna comprised five native species, of which four were endemic. These were abundant until at least the late 1970s, but four species declined rapidly thereafter and were last reported in the wild between 2009 and 2013. In response to the decline, a captive breeding programme was established in August 2009. This attempt came too late for the Christmas Island forest skink Emoia nativitatis, whose last known individual died in captivity in 2014, and for the non-endemic coastal skink Emoia atrocostata. However, two captive populations are now established for Lister's gecko Lepidodactylus listeri and the blue-tailed skink Cryptoblepharus egeriae. The conservation future for these two species is challenging: reintroduction will not be possible until the main threats are identified and controlled.

scholarly journals Purple Swamphen or Gallinule (Porphyrio porphyrio) and Humans

2016 ◽  
Vol 24 (6) ◽  
pp. 574-595
Author(s):  
Ricardo Jorge Lopes ◽  
Juan Antonio Gomez ◽  
Alessandro Andreotti ◽  
Maura Andreoni
Keyword(s):  
Captive Breeding ◽  
Ample Evidence ◽  
Waterbird Species ◽  
Literary Sources ◽  
In Captivity ◽  
In The Wild ◽  
The Mediterranean ◽  
Porphyrio Porphyrio ◽  
Induced Changes

Our knowledge of the historical use of nonhuman animal species in captivity and subsequent human-induced changes in their distribution is poor in comparison to contemporary case studies. Here we assess the hypothesis that, in the case of one waterbird species, the purple swamphen or gallinule (Porphyrio porphyrio), we have neglected the high probability that people transported these birds within the Mediterranean, from Roman to recent times. In ancient iconographies, literary sources, and more recent records there is ample evidence for the use of this species in captivity, captive-breeding, and for trade during several historical periods, especially within the Mediterranean region. All this evidence supports the hypothesis that released or escaped birds might have hybridized with other populations living in the wild. This case study stresses the importance of taking into account past human activity when interpreting contemporary distributional patterns of species.

scholarly journals Captive Hill Mynah Gracula religiosa breeding success: potential for bird conservation in Thailand?

2005 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. 327-335 ◽  
Author(s):  
MANEE ARCHAWARANON
Keyword(s):  
Captive Breeding ◽  
Natural Populations ◽  
Reproductive Behaviour ◽  
Free Access ◽  
Bird Conservation ◽  
Species Survival ◽  
Conservation Problem ◽  
In Captivity ◽  
In The Wild ◽  
Nest Materials

Hill Mynah Gracula religiosa is one of the most popular bird pets worldwide due to its ability to mimic diverse sounds, especially human speech. However, Mynahs have rarely been bred in captivity, so nestlings from natural populations are in large demand, resulting in many populations being threatened with extinction. Both subspecies in Thailand, intermedia and religiosa, are costly and desired in the pet market. Captive breeding is one of the most practical strategies to solve a conservation problem of this nature and this report describes a success in breeding Hill Mynahs in captivity. Mated pairs were given free access to food, nest-cavities and nest materials. Reproductive behaviour in captivity was not different from that in the wild, with the exception that breeding occurred throughout the year, even during the non-breeding season for wild populations. Although there are doubts concerning the reintroduction of captive-bred birds and whether successful Hill Mynah breeding in captivity is an economically competitive alternative to poaching, it ensures species survival in captivity as the risk of extinction increases.

AN INTERNET-BASED METHOD TO ELICIT EXPERTS’ BELIEFS FOR BAYESIAN PRIORS: A CASE STUDY IN INTRACRANIAL STENT EVALUATION

2014 ◽  
Vol 30 (4) ◽  
pp. 446-453 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leslie Pibouleau ◽  
Sylvie Chevret
Keyword(s):  
Success Rate ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Practical Method ◽  
Success Rates ◽  
Analysis Model ◽  
Implantable Medical Device ◽  
Bayesian Hierarchical ◽  
Interesting Approach ◽  
Lower Success Rate

Rationale: Bayesian methods provide an interesting approach to assessing an implantable medical device (IMD) that has evolved through successive versions because they allow for explicit incorporation of prior knowledge into the analysis. However, the literature is sparse on the feasibility and reliability of elicitation in cases where expert beliefs are used to form priors.Objectives: To develop an Internet-based method for eliciting experts’ beliefs about the success rate of an intracranial stenting procedure and to assess their impact on the estimated benefit of the latest version.Study Design and Setting: The elicitation questionnaire was administered to a group of nineteen experts. Elicited experts’ beliefs were used to inform the prior distributions of a Bayesian hierarchical meta-analysis model, allowing for the estimation of the success rate of each version. RESULTS: Experts believed that the success rate of the latest version was slightly higher than that of the previous one (median: 80.8 percent versus 75.9 percent). When using noninformative priors in the model, the latest version was found to have a lower success rate (median: 83.1 percent versus 86.0 percent), while no difference between the two versions was detected with informative priors (median: 85.3 percent versus 85.6 percent).Conclusions: We proposed a practical method to elicit experts’ beliefs on the success rates of successive IMD versions and to explicitly combine all available evidence in the evaluation of the latest one. Our results suggest that the experts were overoptimistic about this last version. Nevertheless, the proposed method should be simplified and assessed in larger, representative samples.

Breeding biology of captive, reintroduced and wild greater bilbies, Macrotis lagotis (Marsupialia : Peramelidae)

2000 ◽  
Vol 27 (6) ◽  
pp. 621 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. I. Southgate ◽  
P. Christie ◽  
K. Bellchambers
Keyword(s):  
National Park ◽  
Reproductive Output ◽  
Fold Increase ◽  
Breeding Biology ◽  
Captive Populations ◽  
Average Litter Size ◽  
In Captivity ◽  
In The Wild ◽  
Reintroduced Population ◽  
Intensively Managed

The breeding biology and growth of Macrotis lagotis was investigated using captive stock in Alice Springs and Dubbo and a reintroduced population at Watarrka National Park. Individuals of M. lagotis reached sexual maturity at about six months of age and continued growing until about 18 months old. Pouch life and weaning took approximately 90 days and females produced up to four litters per year. Litters comprised 1–3 young. Average litter size at pouch exit ranged from 1.0 to 1.88, depending on whether animals were studied in captivity or under reintroduced free-range conditions. Females commonly continued breeding past the age of four years and longevity extended to 10 years in captivity. In comparison, the most animals caught in the wild were estimated to be less than 12 months old. Animals in the reintroduced population exhibited a greater reproductive output than the captive populations examined. However, survivorship was far greater for animals in captivity. An intensively managed captive population may achieve a three-fold increase in size in a 12-month period.

scholarly journals A macromutation eliminates colour patterning in captive butterflies

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph J. Hanly ◽  
Luca Livraghi ◽  
Christa Heryanto ◽  
W. Owen McMillan ◽  
Chris D. Jiggins ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Artificial Selection ◽  
Genetic Basis ◽  
Population Demographics ◽  
Autozygosity Mapping ◽  
Animal Populations ◽  
Captive Populations ◽  
In Captivity ◽  
In The Wild ◽  
Insect Populations ◽  
Mixed Origin

Captive populations often harbor variation that is not present in the wild due to artificial selection. Recent efforts to map this variation have provided insights into the genetic and molecular basis of variation. Heliconius butterflies display a large array of pattern variants in the wild and the genetic basis of these patterns has been well-described. Here we sought to identify the genetic basis of an unusual pattern variant that is instead found in captivity, the ivory mutant, in which all scales on both the wings and body become white or yellow. Using a combination of autozygosity mapping and coverage analysis from 37 captive individuals, we identify a 78kb deletion at the cortex wing patterning locus as the ivory mutation. This deletion is undetected among 458 wild Heliconius genomes samples, and its dosage explains both homozygous and heterozygous ivory phenotypes found in captivity. The deletion spans a large 5' region of the cortex gene that includes a facultative 5' UTR exon detected in larval wing disk transcriptomes. CRISPR mutagenesis of this exon replicates the wing phenotypes from coding knock-outs of cortex, consistent with a functional role of ivory-deleted elements in establishing scale color fate. Population demographics reveal that the stock giving rise to the ivory mutant has a mixed origin from across the wild range of H. melpomene, and supports a scenario where the ivory mutation occurred after the introduction of cortex haplotypes from Ecuador. Homozygotes for the ivory deletion are inviable, joining 40 other examples of allelic variants that provide heterozygous advantage in animal populations under artificial selection by fanciers and breeders. Finally, our results highlight the promise of autozygosity and association mapping for identifying the genetic basis of aberrant mutations in captive insect populations.

scholarly journals Chromosomal-level genome assembly of the scimitar-horned oryx: insights into diversity and demography of a species extinct in the wild

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emily Humble ◽  
Pavel Dobrynin ◽  
Helen Senn ◽  
Justin Chuven ◽  
Alan F. Scott ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Genome Assembly ◽  
Captive Breeding ◽  
Demographic History ◽  
High Genetic Diversity ◽  
Contact Mapping ◽  
Sequencing Technologies ◽  
Captive Populations ◽  
Recent Developments ◽  
In The Wild ◽  
Negative Impacts

AbstractCaptive populations provide a valuable insurance against extinctions in the wild. However, they are also vulnerable to the negative impacts of inbreeding, selection and drift. Genetic information is therefore considered a critical aspect of conservation management planning. Recent developments in sequencing technologies have the potential to improve the outcomes of management programmes however, the transfer of these approaches to applied conservation has been slow. The scimitar-horned oryx (Oryx dammah) is a North African antelope that has been extinct in the wild since the early 1980s and is the focus of a long-term reintroduction project. To enable the selection of suitable founder individuals, facilitate post-release monitoring and improve captive breeding management, comprehensive genomic resources are required. Here, we used 10X Chromium sequencing together with Hi-C contact mapping to develop a chromosomal-level genome assembly for the species. The resulting assembly contained 29 chromosomes with a scaffold N50 of 100.4 Mb, and displayed strong chromosomal synteny with the cattle genome. Using resequencing data from six additional individuals, we demonstrated relatively high genetic diversity in the scimitar-horned oryx compared to other mammals, despite it having experienced a strong founding event in captivity. Additionally, the level of diversity across populations varied according to management strategy. Finally, we uncovered a dynamic demographic history that coincided with periods of climate variation during the Pleistocene. Overall, our study provides a clear example of how genomic data can uncover valuable insights into captive populations and contributes important resources to guide future management decisions of an endangered species.

scholarly journals Fatal chytridiomycosis and infection loss observed in captive toads infected in the wild

2013 ◽  
Vol 82 (4) ◽  
pp. 351-355 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vojtech Baláž ◽  
Martina Kubečková ◽  
Petr Civiš ◽  
Roman Rozínek ◽  
Jiří Vojar
Keyword(s):  
Captive Breeding ◽  
Batrachochytrium Dendrobatidis ◽  
Parasitic Fungus ◽  
Biodiversity Crisis ◽  
Green Toad ◽  
In Captivity ◽  
In The Wild ◽  
Initial Sampling ◽  
Over Time ◽  
Apparent Adverse Effect

A parasitic fungus,Batrachochytrium dendrobatidisis now recognised as an important factor in the amphibian biodiversity crisis. Toad species of the genusBufoare among those susceptible to infection by the pathogen in Europe. The aim of this study was to observe the presence and impact of infection in adults of two toad species collected for captive breeding. The total number of animals included in the study was 162, but only subsets were used for sampling at different occasions (35 specimens in the initial sampling in summer 2011, 48 post hibernation during winter 2011, and 31 in summer 2012, after all toads in captivity were treated with itraconazole). We performed TaqMan real-time quantification PCR to detect and quantify the pathogen. We found that a large infection load was linked to mortality in a single adult green toad (Bufo viridis). However, low infection loads observed in fiveB. viridisand five natterjack toads (B. calamita)were lost over time, with no apparent adverse effect. Intraconazole treated animals were all clear of infection. As infection in these two toad species either led to mortality or recovery, it seems unlikely they could act as permanent carriers ofB. dendrobatidisand therefore persistence of the pathogen is likely maintained by different host species. This is the first study to date that has detected infection and observed its impact and persistence in wild-infected toads in Europe.

scholarly journals What Colour Is That Sparrow? A Case Study: Colour Aberrations In The House Sparrow Passer Domesticus

2012 ◽  
Vol 36 (1) ◽  
pp. 30-55 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hein van Grouw
Keyword(s):  
House Sparrow ◽  
Passer Domesticus ◽  
Common Mutation ◽  
Museum Specimens ◽  
Museum Collections ◽  
The Past ◽  
Real Nature ◽  
In Captivity ◽  
In The Wild

Abstract In this paper 16 distinct, heritable colour aberrations (mutations) in the House Sparrow are described, based on specimens found in museum collections, records of individuals seen in the wild and from bird breeders keeping aberrant coloured sparrows in captivity. Based on the frequency found in the museum specimens Brown is the most common mutation in the House Sparrow, followed by Ino and Albino. Besides the mutations there is also a, presumably, non-heritable aberration called Progressive Greying described. Progressive Greying is in fact by far the most common colour aberration found in the species but was, in the past, always assigned as ‘Partial Albino’ without its real nature being understood. This paper will give some insight in the nature of Progressive Greying.

scholarly journals Getting off to a good start? Genetic evaluation of the ex situ conservation project of the Critically Endangered Montseny brook newt (Calotriton arnoldi)

PeerJ ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
pp. e3447 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emilio Valbuena-Ureña ◽  
Anna Soler-Membrives ◽  
Sebastian Steinfartz ◽  
Mònica Alonso ◽  
Francesc Carbonell ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Diversity ◽  
Captive Breeding ◽  
Genetic Material ◽  
Morphological Differentiation ◽  
Critically Endangered ◽  
Ex Situ ◽  
Wild Populations ◽  
Breeding Programs ◽  
Captive Populations ◽  
In The Wild

Ex situ management strategies play an important role in the conservation of threatened species when the wild survival of the species cannot be ensured. Molecular markers have become an outstanding tool for the evaluation and management of captive breeding programs. Two main genetic objectives should be prioritized when planning breeding programs: the maintenance of maximum neutral genetic diversity, and to obtain “self-sustaining” captive populations. In this study, we use 24 microsatellite loci to analyze and evaluate the genetic representativity of the initial phases of the captive breeding program of the Montseny brook newt, Calotriton arnoldi, an Iberian endemic listed as Critically Endangered. The results show that the initial captive stock has 74–78% of the alleles present in the wild populations, and captures roughly 93–95% of their total genetic diversity as observed in a previous study on wild newts, although it does not reach the desired 97.5%. Moreover, the percentage of unrelatedness among individuals does not exceed 95%. Therefore, we conclude that the genetic diversity of the captive stock should be improved by incorporating genetic material from unrelated wild newts. In recognition of the previously described significant genetic and morphological differentiation between eastern and western wild populations of C. arnoldi, we suggest maintaining two distinct breeding lines, and we do not recommend outbreeding between these lines. Our comparisons of genetic diversity estimates between real and distinct sample-sized simulated populations corroborated that a minimum of 20 individuals are needed for each captive population, in order to match the level of genetic diversity present in the wild populations. Thus, the current initial stock should be reinforced by adding wild specimens. The captive stock and subsequent cohorts should be monitored in order to preserve genetic variation. In order to avoid genetic adaptation to captivity, occasionally incorporating previously genotyped individuals from the wild into the captive populations is recommended.

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