Guay P-J, Parrott M, Selwood L
School of Engineering and Science, Institute for Sustainability and Innovation, Victoria University, Melbourne City, Victoria, Australia.
Zoo Biol. 2012 Jan-Feb;31(1):82-6. doi: 10.1002/zoo.20393. Epub 2011 May 9.
Captive breeding followed by reintroduction to the wild is a common component of conservation management plans for various taxa. Although it is commonly used, captive breeding can result in morphological changes, including brain size decrease. Brain size reduction has been associated with behavioral changes in domestic animals, and such changes may negatively influence reintroduction success of captive-bred animals. Many marsupials are currently bred in captivity for reintroduction, yet the impacts of captive breeding on brain size have never been studied in this taxa. We investigated the impacts of a few generations (2-7) of captive breeding on brain volume in the stripe-faced dunnart (Sminthopsis macroura), and found that captive breeding in a relatively enriched environment did not cause any changes in brain volume. Nonetheless, we advocate that great care be taken to provide suitable husbandry conditions and to minimize the number of captive generations if marsupial reintroduction programs are to be successful.
圈养繁殖后再放归野外是各种分类群保护管理计划的常见组成部分。虽然圈养繁殖被普遍使用，但它可能导致形态变化，包括脑容量减小。脑容量减小与家畜的行为变化有关，而这种变化可能会对圈养繁殖动物的放归成功产生负面影响。目前许多有袋动物在圈养环境中繁殖以进行放归，但圈养繁殖对该分类群脑容量的影响从未被研究过。我们调查了几代（2 - 7代）圈养繁殖对带纹袋鼬（Sminthopsis macroura）脑容量的影响，发现处于相对丰富环境中的圈养繁殖并未引起脑容量的任何变化。尽管如此，我们主张，如果有袋动物放归计划要取得成功，必须格外小心地提供合适的饲养条件，并尽量减少圈养代数。
