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Genetics of a head-start program to guide conservation of an endangered Galápagos tortoise (Chelonoidis ephippium)

Lookup NU author(s): Dr Evelyn Jensen

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Abstract

© 2015, Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht.Critically endangered wildlife species typically require intensive management using a variety of in situ and ex situ approaches. Yet, despite broad application of ex situ conservation strategies, comparatively few programs incorporate genetic tools into management decisions and monitoring efforts. This is the case with the giant Galápagos tortoise endemic to Pinzón Island (Chelonoidis ephippium); a head-start program has been in place for 50 years without an evaluation of whether this conservation intervention has captured the breadth of diversity present in the wild population. Here we used microsatellite genotypic data to reconstruct patterns of within- and among-population genetic variation in the wild and captivity, and to assess the degree to which head-start cohorts and adult captive founders are representative of the gene pool in situ. We found that Pinzón giant tortoises maintain high levels of variation in situ despite their well-documented decline and that the founders of the captive population are a reasonably diverse and representative group. However, we also found that the head-start cohorts are not representative of the wild population, as evidenced by significant genetic differentiation between the in situ and ex situ samples and by the private alleles detected in both. Future head-start activities should broaden the source locations of eggs and hatchlings to more comprehensively capture the extent and distribution of genetic variation in this critically endangered keystone herbivore. More broadly, this study further highlights the utility of integrating genetic information within ex situ conservation programs.

Publication metadata

Author(s): Jensen EL, Tapia W, Caccone A, Russello MA

Publication type: Article

Publication status: Published

Journal: Conservation Genetics

Year: 2015

Volume: 16

Issue: 4

Pages: 823-832

Online publication date: 10/02/2015

Acceptance date: 04/02/2015

ISSN (print): 1566-0621

ISSN (electronic): 1572-9737

Publisher: Kluwer Academic Publishers

URL: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10592-015-0703-7

DOI: 10.1007/s10592-015-0703-7

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