Genetic Restoration of the Florida Panther

Johnson, Warren E.; Onorato, Dave; Roelke, Melody E.; Land, E. Darrell; Cunningham, Mark W.; Belden, Robert C.; McBride, Roy; Jansen, Deborah; Lotz, Mark; Shindle, David B.; Howard, Jeremy; Wildt, David E.; Penfold, Linda M.; Hostetler, Jeffrey A.; Oli, Madan K.; O’Brien, Stephen J.

doi:10.1126/science.1192891

Cited by 510 publications

(471 citation statements)

References 19 publications

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“…By these principles, the strength of genetic rescue's influence is quantified by the dramatic increase in the ancestry of the immigrant(s) ( figure 2). Moreover, the strength of genetic rescue defined in this way for this wolf population was at least as great as that observed in Florida panthers, a widely appreciated case of genetic rescue where the ancestry of five introduced Texas pumas was at most 0.410 [10,45].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 89%

“…[8,10]). These challenges for assessing genetic rescue-the relational nature of fitness and the time required for powerful tests of vital rates-might be overcome by reconsidering the definition of and standards for assessing genetic rescue.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In four cases, genetic rescue was associated with human-mediated translocations of relatively large numbers of individuals. Populations of adders (Vipera berus) and prairie chickens (Tympanuchus cupido) experienced an increase in population growth, a bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) population exhibited increases in reproduction, survival and five fitness traits [6,8,9] and the fitness of Florida panthers (Puma concolor) has benefited from genetic rescue [10].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Genomic sweep and potential genetic rescue during limiting environmental conditions in an isolated wolf population

et al. 2011

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Genetic rescue, in which the introduction of one or more unrelated individuals into an inbred population results in the reduction of detrimental genetic effects and an increase in one or more vital rates, is a potentially important management tool for mitigating adverse effects of inbreeding. We used molecular techniques to document the consequences of a male wolf ( Canis lupus ) that immigrated, on its own, across Lake Superior ice to the small, inbred wolf population in Isle Royale National Park. The immigrant's fitness so exceeded that of native wolves that within 2.5 generations, he was related to every individual in the population and his ancestry constituted 56 per cent of the population, resulting in a selective sweep of the total genome. In other words, all the male ancestry (50% of the total ancestry) descended from this immigrant, plus 6 per cent owing to the success of some of his inbred offspring. The immigration event occurred in an environment where space was limiting (i.e. packs occupied all available territories) and during a time when environmental conditions had deteriorated (i.e. wolves' prey declined). These conditions probably explain why the immigration event did not obviously improve the population's demography (e.g. increased population numbers or growth rate). Our results show that the beneficial effects of gene flow may be substantial and quickly manifest, short-lived under some circumstances, and how the demographic benefits of genetic rescue might be masked by environmental conditions.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 89%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Genomic sweep and potential genetic rescue during limiting environmental conditions in an isolated wolf population

et al. 2011

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“…These species had H O prior to reintroduction or translocation programs that varied from 0.167 for the Florida panther, (Johnson et al. 2010) to 0.31 for the Iberian lynx (Palomares et al. 2012; Casas‐Marce et al.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…After 15 years, heterozygosity increased from 0.167 in the original Florida panthers to 0.244 in the current admixed population (Johnson et al. 2010). …”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Population and genetic outcomes 20 years after reintroducing bobcats (Lynx rufus) to Cumberland Island, Georgia USA

Diefenbach

Hansen

Bohling

et al. 2015

Ecology and Evolution

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In 1988–1989, 32 bobcats Lynx rufus were reintroduced to Cumberland Island (CUIS), Georgia, USA, from which they had previously been extirpated. They were monitored intensively for 3 years immediately post‐reintroduction, but no estimation of the size or genetic diversity of the population had been conducted in over 20 years since reintroduction. We returned to CUIS in 2012 to estimate abundance and effective population size of the present‐day population, as well as to quantify genetic diversity and inbreeding. We amplified 12 nuclear microsatellite loci from DNA isolated from scats to establish genetic profiles to identify individuals. We used spatially explicit capture–recapture population estimation to estimate abundance. From nine unique genetic profiles, we estimate a population size of 14.4 (SE = 3.052) bobcats, with an effective population size (N e) of 5–8 breeding individuals. This is consistent with predictions of a population viability analysis conducted at the time of reintroduction, which estimated the population would average 12–13 bobcats after 10 years. We identified several pairs of related bobcats (parent‐offspring and full siblings), but ~75% of the pairwise comparisons were typical of unrelated individuals, and only one individual appeared inbred. Despite the small population size and other indications that it has likely experienced a genetic bottleneck, levels of genetic diversity in the CUIS bobcat population remain high compared to other mammalian carnivores. The reintroduction of bobcats to CUIS provides an opportunity to study changes in genetic diversity in an insular population without risk to this common species. Opportunities for natural immigration to the island are limited; therefore, continued monitoring and supplemental bobcat reintroductions could be used to evaluate the effect of different management strategies to maintain genetic diversity and population viability. The successful reintroduction and maintenance of a bobcat population on CUIS illustrates the suitability of translocation as a management tool for re‐establishing felid populations.

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Exploring the potential for ‘Gene Conservation Units’ to conserve genetic diversity in wild populations

Minter

O’Brien²,

Cottrell

et al. 2021

Ecol Sol and Evidence

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1. Genetic diversity is important for species persistence and Gene Conservation Units (GCUs) have been implemented for forest trees to protect genetic diversity and evolutionary processes in situ. The Convention on Biological Diversity stipulates the protection of genetic diversity as an Aichi target, and so we explore the potential for GCUs to be implemented more widely.2. Our global systematic review showed that GCUs are currently implemented primarily for plant species of economic importance (109/158 species studied), but a questionnaire sent to land managers and conservationists (60 U.K. participants) revealed strong support for fully integrating genetic information into conservation management (90% agree), and for creating GCUs for other plant and animal taxa.3. Using four case studies of U.K. species of conservation importance which vary in genetic threat and population dynamics (two insect species, a fungus and a plant), we highlight that GCU implementation criteria need to be flexible to account for variation in effective breeding population size and geographic extent of target species. The wider uptake of GCUs would ensure that threatened genetic diversity is protected and support evolutionary processes that aid adaptation to changing environments.

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Genetic Restoration of the Florida Panther

Cited by 510 publications

References 19 publications

Genomic sweep and potential genetic rescue during limiting environmental conditions in an isolated wolf population

Genomic sweep and potential genetic rescue during limiting environmental conditions in an isolated wolf population

Population and genetic outcomes 20 years after reintroducing bobcats (Lynx rufus) to Cumberland Island, Georgia USA

Exploring the potential for ‘Gene Conservation Units’ to conserve genetic diversity in wild populations

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