Reduced genetic variability in a captive-bred population of the endangered Hume’s pheasant (Syrmaticus humiae, Hume 1881) revealed by microsatellite genotyping and D-loop sequencing

Abstract

Captive breeding programs are crucial to ensure the survival of endangered species and ultimately to reintroduce individuals into the wild. However, captive-bred populations can also deteriorate due to inbreeding depression and reduction of genetic variability. We genotyped a captive population of 82 individuals of the endangered Hume’s pheasant (Syrmaticus humiae, Hume 1881) at the Doi Tung Wildlife Breeding Center to assess the genetic consequences associated with captive breeding. Analysis of microsatellite loci and mitochondrial D-loop sequences reveal significantly reduced genetic differentiation and a shallow population structure. Despite the low genetic variability, no bottleneck was observed but 12 microsatellite loci were informative in reflecting probable inbreeding. These findings provide a valuable source of knowledge to maximize genetic variability and enhance the success of future conservation plans for captive and wild populations of Hume’s pheasant.

Should the Identification Guidelines for Siamese Crocodiles Be Revised? Differing Post-Occipital Scute Scale Numbers Show Phenotypic Variation Does Not Result from Hybridization with Saltwater Crocodiles

“…The genotypic data resulting from this study were deposited in the Dryad Digital Repository Dataset ( , accessed on 18 February 2023). We used the same methods as previous studies for PCR amplification to analyze genetic diversity and population structure of the crocodile populations [ 11 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 ] ( Supplementary Data S1 ).…”

Genetic Monitoring of the Last Captive Population of Greater Mouse-Deer on the Thai Mainland and Prediction of Habitat Suitability before Reintroduction

“…The 5 -end of the forward primer of each set of primers was labeled using a fluorescent dye (6-FAM or HEX; Macrogen Inc., Seoul, Republic of Korea). PCR amplification and fluorescent DNA fragment length analysis details were previously described by Ariyaraphong et al [34], Jangtarwan et al [44,45], Thintip et al [46] and Wongtienchai et al [37]. The PCR protocol was as follows: initial denaturation at 94 • C for 3 min, followed by 35 cycles at 94 • C for 30 s, 52-58 • C for 30 s and 72 • C for 30 s, with a final extension at 72 • C for 5 min.…”

“…s4mw6m98v, accessed on 17 July 2022). For microsatellite data analysis, we followed the same approaches as those used in previous studies of other animals [34,37,[44][45][46] (See more detail in Supplementary Data S1).…”

“…Highly diverse genetic variability among individuals and populations is important for evolutionary adaptation and species fitness [31,34,35,37,[44][45][46]. The prime objective of captive mating is to sustain a rapidly declining natural population to minimize the consequences of genetic drift and risk of inbreeding depression.…”

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“…The microsatellite DNA analysis followed the same procedure outlined in our previous animal research projects [70][71][72][73][74]. The allelic frequency, number of alleles (A), effective number of alleles (N a ), observed heterozygosity (H o ), expected heterozygosity (H e ), linkage equilibrium, and Wright's F-statistic for subpopulations within the total population (F ST ) were calculated using Arlequin version 3.5.2.2 [66].…”