Asian elephant genomics for conservation: from captivity to the wild

Informations

Funding country

Netherlands

Acronym

-

URL

-

Start date

10/1/2021

End date

-

Budget

308,970 EUR

Fundings

Abstract

Despite efforts to halt biodiversity loss, we are losing species at an alarming pace. Many species are threatened with extinction because of severe population size reductions and habitat loss. Genetics plays a crucial role in fitness of populations, but nowadays genetic parameters are barely used in conservation of threatened species. However, genomic information may provide important cues for conservation of species. Captive populations can play an important role in conservation (e.g. recovery breeding for genetic rescue) but efforts may fail if no attention is given to the genetic status. We define a set of genetic parameters that should be assessed in conservation efforts: population structure (subspecies?), overall genetic diversity, inbreeding status, genetic load, lethal recessives and locally adapted genes. We use the European captive population of Asian elephants to assess these important genetic parameters. We use genomic information to evaluate the genetic status of subspecies of Asian elephants and define their genetic health status based on genomic information. We implement these genomic measures in computer programs to simulate genetic health of populations and tailor these to the current captive Asian elephant population. Based on these simulations we will also determine the reintroduction potential of the European captive population of Asian elephants. These results will be used to develop management guidelines how to best preserve this iconic species in the future. Moreover, we propose a generic framework for genetic management of captive populations, how to use genomic data in conservation.