Nistelberger Heidi M, Roycroft Emily, Macdonald Anna J, McArthur Shelley, White Lauren C, Grady Patrick G S, Pierson Jennifer, Sims Colleen, Cowen Saul, Moseby Katherine, Tuft Katherine, Moritz Craig, Eldridge Mark D B, Byrne Margaret, Ottewell Kym
Biodiversity and Conservation Science, Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, Kensington, Western Australia, Australia.
Division of Ecology & Evolution, Research School of Biology, ANU College of Science, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia.
Mol Ecol. 2023 Sep 16. doi: 10.1111/mec.17119.
Translocation programmes are increasingly being informed by genetic data to monitor and enhance conservation outcomes for both natural and established populations. These data provide a window into contemporary patterns of genetic diversity, structure and relatedness that can guide managers in how to best source animals for their translocation programmes. The inclusion of historical samples, where possible, strengthens monitoring by allowing assessment of changes in genetic diversity over time and by providing a benchmark for future improvements in diversity via management practices. Here, we used reduced representation sequencing (ddRADseq) data to report on the current genetic health of three remnant and seven translocated boodie (Bettongia lesueur) populations, now extinct on the Australian mainland. In addition, we used exon capture data from seven historical mainland specimens and a subset of contemporary samples to compare pre-decline and current diversity. Both data sets showed the significant impact of population founder source (whether multiple or single) on the genetic diversity of translocated populations. Populations founded by animals from multiple sources showed significantly higher genetic diversity than the natural remnant and single-source translocation populations, and we show that by mixing the most divergent populations, exon capture heterozygosity was restored to levels close to that observed in pre-decline mainland samples. Relatedness estimates were surprisingly low across all contemporary populations and there was limited evidence of inbreeding. Our results show that a strategy of genetic mixing has led to successful conservation outcomes for the species in terms of increasing genetic diversity and provides strong rationale for mixing as a management strategy.
基因数据越来越多地为迁移计划提供信息，以监测和提高自然种群和已建立种群的保护成效。这些数据为了解当代遗传多样性、结构和亲缘关系模式提供了一个窗口，可指导管理人员如何为其迁移计划最好地挑选动物来源。尽可能纳入历史样本，通过评估遗传多样性随时间的变化以及为未来通过管理实践提高多样性提供基准，从而加强监测。在此，我们使用简化基因组测序（ddRADseq）数据来报告三种残留种群和七种迁移的毛尾袋小鼠（Bettongia lesueur）种群目前的遗传健康状况，该物种在澳大利亚大陆现已灭绝。此外，我们使用来自七个历史大陆标本和一部分当代样本的外显子捕获数据，比较衰退前和当前的多样性。两个数据集都显示了种群奠基者来源（无论是多个还是单个）对迁移种群遗传多样性的重大影响。由多个来源的动物建立的种群显示出比自然残留种群和单源迁移种群显著更高的遗传多样性，并且我们表明，通过混合差异最大的种群，外显子捕获杂合度恢复到接近衰退前大陆样本中观察到的水平。在所有当代种群中，亲缘关系估计值出奇地低，近亲繁殖的证据有限。我们的结果表明，基因混合策略在增加遗传多样性方面为该物种带来了成功的保护成果，并为混合作为一种管理策略提供了有力的理论依据。
