Coltman David W
Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada T6G 2E9.
Mol Ecol. 2008 Jan;17(1):221-35. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-294X.2007.03414.x.
Harvesting of wildlife populations by humans is usually targeted by sex, age or phenotypic criteria, and is therefore selective. Selective harvesting has the potential to elicit a genetic response from the target populations in several ways. First, selective harvesting may affect population demographic structure (age structure, sex ratio), which in turn may have consequences for effective population size and hence genetic diversity. Second, wildlife-harvesting regimes that use selective criteria based on phenotypic characteristics (e.g. minimum body size, horn length or antler size) have the potential to impose artificial selection on harvested populations. If there is heritable genetic variation for the target characteristic and harvesting occurs before the age of maturity, then an evolutionary response over time may ensue. Molecular ecological techniques offer ways to predict and detect genetic change in harvested populations, and therefore have great utility for effective wildlife management. Molecular markers can be used to assess the genetic structure of wildlife populations, and thereby assist in the prediction of genetic impacts by delineating evolutionarily meaningful management units. Genetic markers can be used for monitoring genetic diversity and changes in effective population size and breeding systems. Tracking evolutionary change at the phenotypic level in the wild through quantitative genetic analysis can be made possible by genetically determined pedigrees. Finally, advances in genome sequencing and bioinformatics offer the opportunity to study the molecular basis of phenotypic variation through trait mapping and candidate gene approaches. With this understanding, it could be possible to monitor the selective impacts of harvesting at a molecular level in the future. Effective wildlife management practice needs to consider more than the direct impact of harvesting on population dynamics. Programs that utilize molecular genetic tools will be better positioned to assess the long-term evolutionary impact of artificial selection on the evolutionary trajectory and viability of harvested populations.
人类对野生动物种群的捕猎通常以性别、年龄或表型标准为目标，因此具有选择性。选择性捕猎有可能通过多种方式引发目标种群的遗传反应。首先，选择性捕猎可能会影响种群的人口结构（年龄结构、性别比例），进而可能对有效种群大小以及遗传多样性产生影响。其次，基于表型特征（如最小体型、角长或鹿角大小）使用选择标准的野生动物捕猎方式，有可能对被捕猎种群施加人工选择。如果目标特征存在可遗传的遗传变异，且捕猎发生在成熟年龄之前，那么随着时间的推移可能会产生进化反应。分子生态学技术提供了预测和检测被捕猎种群遗传变化的方法，因此在有效的野生动物管理中具有很大的实用价值。分子标记可用于评估野生动物种群的遗传结构，从而通过划定具有进化意义的管理单元来协助预测遗传影响。遗传标记可用于监测遗传多样性以及有效种群大小和繁殖系统的变化。通过基因确定的谱系，可以通过定量遗传分析在野外追踪表型水平的进化变化。最后，基因组测序和生物信息学的进展提供了通过性状定位和候选基因方法研究表型变异分子基础的机会。有了这种认识，未来有可能在分子水平上监测捕猎的选择性影响。有效的野生动物管理实践需要考虑的不仅仅是捕猎对种群动态的直接影响。利用分子遗传工具的项目将更有能力评估人工选择对被捕猎种群的进化轨迹和生存能力的长期进化影响。
