卧龙圈养大熊猫遗传多样性现状及预测,

以中国最大的大熊猫圈养种群—四川卧龙中国大熊猫保护中心的圈养种群为对象,以８个大熊猫微卫星位点为分子标记, 探讨了大熊猫圈养种群的遗传多样性, 并与邛崃野生种群及其他７个濒危物种进行比较。微卫星数据表明, 圈养种群的遗传多样性水平(A＝5.5, He ＝0.620, Ho＝0.574) 低于邛崃野生种群(A＝9.8,He＝0.779,Ho＝0.581),但高于其他7 个濒危物种的种群(He＝0.13~0.46)。在此数据的基础上对未来100个世代内圈养种群遗传多样性的变化情况做出了预测。结果表明假设种群数量比现在扩大一倍, 经历100个世代后也只会使平均等位基因数少减少0.4。因此继续增加野生个体对保持遗传多样性的意义已经不大, 建议该圈养种群的保护策略应将重点放到制定更有效的繁殖计划以避免近交上。     

甘肃兴隆山养麝场圈养高山麝的产香量

兴隆山国家级自然保护区(E103。50'-104。10',N35。38-58')位于甘肃省兰州市榆中县境内,是高山麝(Moschus chrysogaster)的自然分布区.     

The impact of assumptions about founder relationships on the effectiveness of captive breeding strategies

Many breeding programs managed by zoos and aquariums employ strategies that minimize mean kinship as a way of retaining genetic diversity (MK strategies). MK strategies depend on accurate and complete pedigrees, but population founders are generally assumed to be unrelated and not inbred. This assumption was historically necessitated by the unavailability of data on founder relationships, but with DNA techniques it is sometimes now possible to estimate those relationships. We used computer simulations to investigate the impact of founder assumptions on the effectiveness of MK strategies. Individuals with known pedigrees were managed in groups of 10, 30, and 100 founders at two different rates of reproduction and two different degrees of founder relationship. The impact of assuming founders were unrelated was quantified by calculating the differences in gene diversity and inbreeding that were observed between simulations that used known relationships and simulations that assumed founders were unrelated. Results indicated that utilizing known relationships retained 0–2% more gene diversity over ten generations than assuming founders were unrelated, with specific results dependent on the conditions of a given scenario. Similar results were observed for inbreeding, with long-term levels of inbreeding being 0–2% lower when relationships were known. There were higher benefits to knowing founder relationships as reproductive rate increased, as well as when full-siblings were included in small groups of founders. Overall, however, long-term benefits gained from knowing founder relationships were generally small. Therefore, MK strategies probably often produce near optimal results when standard founder assumptions are made.     

Molecular genetic analysis of a captive-breeding program: the vulnerable endemic Jamaican yellow boa

The endemic Jamaican boa (or “yellow boa”, Epicrates subflavus) is a vulnerable species of the Caribbean biodiversity hotspot whose natural populations greatly declined mainly due to predation by introduced species, human persecution, and habitat destruction. A captive breeding program was initiated in 1976 and rationalized in 2002 by the establishment of a European Endangered Species Program. During the last 30 years, more than 600 offspring, of which 80 are still alive today, have been produced and distributed among European host institutions and privates. Here, using nine nuclear microsatellite loci and a fragment of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene, we (i) determine the natural population from which the founders originate, (ii) identify parental allocation errors and ambiguities in the studbook, and (iii) assess the genetic diversity and estimate levels of inbreeding of the current captive population based on loss of alleles, variance in reproductive success, and relatedness among individuals. Combining measures of relatedness derived from multilocus genotypes with practical parameters such as age of animals and localization of host institutions, we propose mating groups that would maximize genetic diversity in the captive population of the Jamaican boa. Our analyses provide guidance for a more efficient breeding program that, in turn, could be used as the starting point of a repatriation program to increase the probability of the species long-term survival. Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

圈养豚鹿的昼间日常行为与时间分配

摘要：豚鹿（Axis porcinus）是一种分布于中国南部且极度濒危的小型有蹄类,有关该物种的生态学数据极其稀缺。2006年3 ～12月,运用目标取样法和瞬时取样法观察圈养于成都动物园的16只豚鹿行为。通过预观察,定义并描述了16种行为,并按照PAE进行编码。结果显示,休息行为、取食行为、站立行为、运动行为与其他行为...     

Vitrification of oocytes from endangered Mexican gray wolves (Canis lupus baileyi)

Careful genetic management, including cryopreservation of genetic material, is central to conservation of the endangered Mexican gray wolf. We tested a technique, previously used to vitrify human and domestic animal oocytes, on oocytes from domestic dogs as a model and from the endangered Mexican wolf. This method provided a way to conserve oocytes from genetically valuable older female Mexican wolves as an alternative to embryos for preserving female genes. Oocytes were aspirated from ovaries of 36 female dogs in December and March (0 to 65 oocytes per female) and from six female wolves (4 to 73 per female) during their physiologic breeding season, or following stimulation with the GnRH agonist deslorelin. Oocytes from dogs were pooled; half were immediately tested for viability and the remainder vitrified, then warmed and tested for viability. All oocytes were vitrified by being moved through media of increasing cryoprotectant concentration, placed on Cryotops, and plunged into liquid nitrogen. There was no difference in viability (propidium iodide staining) between fresh and vitrified, warmed dog oocytes (65.7 and 61.0%, respectively, P = 0.27). Oocyte viability after warming was similarly assessed in a subset of wolves (4 to 15 oocytes from each of three females; total 29 oocytes). Of these, 57.1% of the post-thaw intact oocytes were viable, which was 41.4% of all oocytes warmed. These were the first oocytes from a canid or an endangered species demonstrated to have maintained viability after vitrification and warming. Furthermore, our results demonstrated that vitrification of oocytes with the Cryotop technique was an option for preserving female gametes from Mexican wolves for future use in captive breeding programs, although in vitro embryo production techniques must first be developed in canids for this technique to be used.     

Evaluating ex situ conservation projects: Genetic structure of the captive population of the Arabian sand cat

Ex situ conservation plays an increasingly important role in the conservation of endangered species. Molecular genetic markers can be helpful to assess the status of captive breeding programmes. We present the first molecular genetic analysis of the captive population of the Arabian sand cat (Felis margarita harrisoni) using microsatellites. Our data indicates that the captive population of F. m. harrisoni comprises three genetic clusters, which are based on different founder lineages. Genetic diversity was relatively high, the effective population size even exceeded the number of founders. This was presumably caused by subsequently integrating unrelated, genetically diverse founders into the captive population and a careful management based on minimizing kinship. However, we detected an error in the studbook records, which might have led to incestuous matings and underlines the usefulness of molecular evaluations in captive breeding programmes for endangered species.     

Effects of age,body size and season on food consumption and digestion of captive dugongs (Dugong dugon)

Food consumption and digestion of male and female dugongs (Dugong dugon) was examined by analyzing long-term (1979–1998) feeding records at Toba Aquarium (Japan). Throughout all captive feeding periods, dugongs consumed eelgrass (Zostera marina) and showed steady increases in feed consumption with a consistent weight gain of 42–45?kg a year. The daily consumption of male and female dugongs increased from 10–15?kg to 23–26?kg of fresh eelgrass, accounting for approximately 14 and 7% of their body weight at one and seven years old, respectively. Both dugongs had a marginal dry matter digestibility of over 90%. Food consumption varied between seasons and individuals. There were major reductions (P<0.05) in consumption by the male in November and January and by the female in August and September. The seasonal reductions in food consumption coincided with high digestibility of eelgrass.