PDF(Pubmed)
Abstract：
Genetic rescue-an increase in population fitness following the introduction of new alleles-has been proven to ameliorate inbreeding depression in small, isolated populations, yet is rarely applied as a conservation tool. A lingering question regarding genetic rescue in wildlife conservation is how long beneficial effects persist in admixed populations. Using data collected over 40 years from 1192 endangered Florida panthers (Puma concolor coryi) across nine generations, we show that the experimental genetic rescue implemented in 1995-via the release of eight female pumas from Texas-alleviated morphological, genetic, and demographic correlates of inbreeding depression, subsequently preventing extirpation of the population. We present unequivocal evidence, for the first time in any terrestrial vertebrate, that genetic and phenotypic benefits of genetic rescue remain in this population after five generations of admixture, which helped increase panther abundance (> fivefold) and genetic effective population size (> 20-fold). Additionally, even with extensive admixture, microsatellite allele frequencies in the population continue to support the distinctness of Florida panthers from other North American puma populations, including Texas. Although threats including habitat loss, human-wildlife conflict, and infectious diseases are challenges to many imperiled populations, our results suggest genetic rescue can serve as an effective, multi-generational tool for conservation of small, isolated populations facing extinction from inbreeding.
摘要：
遗传拯救-引入新等位基因后种群适应性的增加-已被证明可以改善小型近交抑郁症，孤立的群体，但很少被用作保护工具。关于野生动物保护中的基因拯救的一个挥之不去的问题是，混合种群的有益影响持续了多长时间。使用40多年来从九代人的1192只濒临灭绝的佛罗里达美洲豹（Pumaconcolorcoryi）收集的数据，我们表明，在1995年实施的实验性基因拯救-通过释放8只雌性美洲狮从得克萨斯州-减轻形态学，遗传,和近亲繁殖抑郁症的人口统计学相关因素，随后阻止人口灭绝。我们提供明确的证据,第一次在任何陆地脊椎动物中，遗传拯救的遗传和表型益处在五代混合后仍然存在于这个群体中，这有助于增加豹的丰度(>五倍)和遗传有效种群大小(>20倍)。此外,即使使用大量的混合物，种群中的微卫星等位基因频率继续支持佛罗里达美洲豹与其他北美美洲狮种群的独特性，包括德克萨斯州。尽管威胁包括栖息地的丧失，人类与野生动物的冲突，传染病是许多危险人群面临的挑战，我们的结果表明，基因拯救可以作为一种有效的，保护小的多代工具，面临近亲繁殖灭绝的孤立种群。
