An insight into the methods of Conservation Genetics
Understanding the need to use genetic methods in conservation biology will greatly aid in the process of bringing back any species that play an important role in their native habitat. Implementing genetic tools and methods in conservation programs helps to minimize the loss of genetic diversity, which allows populations to adapt to environmental changes and stressors. This helps to minimize the loss of the population numbers by reducing the negative effects of inbreeding.
Methods in use today
The methods that are currently in use by genetic conservationists include selective breeding to ensure variability of genes, reintroduction of a species population that used to inhabit a certain area, …show more content…
Edwards et al. (2014) found that past interspecies encounters might have had an effect on the captive breeding of the tortoises due to the polyandry and sperm storage of females. The continued genetic testing of offspring will aid in ensuring that hybrid genetic material from the past encounters will be mixing into the captive population. As seen from this study, it is important to ensure that any additional members added to the captive breeding programs need to be genetically tested to make certain they are not hybrids that had been misidentified (Cara, Villanueva, Toro, & Fernández, 2013; Dlugosch & Parker, 2008; Edwards et al., …show more content…
When an endonuclease sequence on a gene drive is placed into a chromosome, it causes the non-altered homologous chromosome next to it to be cut if it lacks the endonuclease sequence. After this happens, the cell then tries to repair the chromosome and uses the other homologous chromosome, the one with the gene drive, to use as a template copy. The formerly cut chromosome then has the gene drive segment. This copying causes more than half of the organism’s offspring to contain the chromosome with the gene drive and allow this gene to drive through a population. Gene segments that code for deleterious effects in individuals can be coded onto the gene drive and then propagate through a population causing either death, reduction in population, or even make it so that males only give out the sex chromosome for male progeny (Esvelt, Smidler, Catteruccia, & Church, 2014). By ensuring that females aren’t born, no further offspring would be for that population either. The applications for this are pest management in agriculture, disease prevention from mosquitos, and for invasive species that endanger the
Understanding the need to use genetic methods in conservation biology will greatly aid in the process of bringing back any species that play an important role in their native habitat. Implementing genetic tools and methods in conservation programs helps to minimize the loss of genetic diversity, which allows populations to adapt to environmental changes and stressors. This helps to minimize the loss of the population numbers by reducing the negative effects of inbreeding.
Methods in use today
The methods that are currently in use by genetic conservationists include selective breeding to ensure variability of genes, reintroduction of a species population that used to inhabit a certain area, …show more content…
Edwards et al. (2014) found that past interspecies encounters might have had an effect on the captive breeding of the tortoises due to the polyandry and sperm storage of females. The continued genetic testing of offspring will aid in ensuring that hybrid genetic material from the past encounters will be mixing into the captive population. As seen from this study, it is important to ensure that any additional members added to the captive breeding programs need to be genetically tested to make certain they are not hybrids that had been misidentified (Cara, Villanueva, Toro, & Fernández, 2013; Dlugosch & Parker, 2008; Edwards et al., …show more content…
When an endonuclease sequence on a gene drive is placed into a chromosome, it causes the non-altered homologous chromosome next to it to be cut if it lacks the endonuclease sequence. After this happens, the cell then tries to repair the chromosome and uses the other homologous chromosome, the one with the gene drive, to use as a template copy. The formerly cut chromosome then has the gene drive segment. This copying causes more than half of the organism’s offspring to contain the chromosome with the gene drive and allow this gene to drive through a population. Gene segments that code for deleterious effects in individuals can be coded onto the gene drive and then propagate through a population causing either death, reduction in population, or even make it so that males only give out the sex chromosome for male progeny (Esvelt, Smidler, Catteruccia, & Church, 2014). By ensuring that females aren’t born, no further offspring would be for that population either. The applications for this are pest management in agriculture, disease prevention from mosquitos, and for invasive species that endanger the