TY - JOUR

T1 - Comparison of genomic diversity and structure of sable antelope (Hippotragus niger) in zoos, conservation centers, and private ranches in North America

AU - Gooley, Rebecca M.

AU - Tamazian, Gaik

AU - Castañeda-Rico, Susette

AU - Murphy, Katherine R.

AU - Dobrynin, Pavel

AU - Ferrie, Gina M.

AU - Haefele, Holly

AU - Maldonado, Jesús E.

AU - Wildt, David E.

AU - Pukazhenthi, Budhan S.

AU - Edwards, Cody W.

AU - Koepfli, Klaus Peter

N1 - Funding Information: The authors thank: Jill M. Piltz (Disney?s Animal Kingdom), Dr. Douglas L Armstrong (Omaha?s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium), Dan Beetem (The Wilds), Kevin and Cole Reid (Stewards for Wildlife), Jimmy and Justin Gregory (Austin Savanna), Hayden Kelly (Griffin Point Ranch), and anonymously participating Conservation Centers for Species Survival?s Source Population Alliance members for providing samples. We thank Alison Devault from Arbor Biosciences for the construction and quality checking of the sable antelope myBaits array and for comments on the manuscript. We also thank Dr. Janine Brown, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute for substantial discussions during early stages of this project and funding support and Ms. Jill Piltz, Co-Ordinator - AZA Sable Antelope Species Survival Plan for regular feedback and guidance throughout this project. K.P.K. and the research reported herein was supported by the Smithsonian Institution Competitive Grants Program, the Sichel Endowment, and the Phil Reed Fund. G.T. was supported in part by funding provided through the Smithsonian Institution?s Short-Term Visitor Fellowship program. Publisher Copyright: © 2020 The Authors. Evolutionary Applications published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd Copyright: Copyright 2020 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.

PY - 2020/9

Y1 - 2020/9

N2 - As we enter the sixth mass extinction, many species that are no longer self-sustaining in their natural habitat will require ex situ management. Zoos have finite resources for ex situ management, and there is a need for holistic conservation programs between the public and private sector. Ex situ populations of sable antelope, Hippotragus niger, have existed in zoos and privately owned ranches in North America since the 1910s. Unknown founder representation and relatedness has made the genetic management of this species challenging within zoos, while populations on privately owned ranches are managed independently and retain minimal-to-no pedigree history. Consequences of such challenges include an increased risk of inbreeding and a loss of genetic diversity. Here, we developed and applied a customized targeted sequence capture panel based on 5,000 genomewide single-nucleotide polymorphisms to investigate the genomic diversity present in these uniquely managed populations. We genotyped 111 sable antelope: 23 from zoos, 43 from a single conservation center, and 45 from ranches. We found significantly higher genetic diversity and significantly lower inbreeding in herds housed in zoos and conservation centers, when compared to those in privately owned ranches, likely due to genetic-based breeding recommendations implemented in the former populations. Genetic clustering was strong among all three populations, possibly as a result of genetic drift. We propose that the North American ex situ population of sable antelope would benefit from a metapopulation management system, to halt genetic drift, reduce the occurrence of inbreeding, and enable sustainable population sizes to be managed ex situ.

AB - As we enter the sixth mass extinction, many species that are no longer self-sustaining in their natural habitat will require ex situ management. Zoos have finite resources for ex situ management, and there is a need for holistic conservation programs between the public and private sector. Ex situ populations of sable antelope, Hippotragus niger, have existed in zoos and privately owned ranches in North America since the 1910s. Unknown founder representation and relatedness has made the genetic management of this species challenging within zoos, while populations on privately owned ranches are managed independently and retain minimal-to-no pedigree history. Consequences of such challenges include an increased risk of inbreeding and a loss of genetic diversity. Here, we developed and applied a customized targeted sequence capture panel based on 5,000 genomewide single-nucleotide polymorphisms to investigate the genomic diversity present in these uniquely managed populations. We genotyped 111 sable antelope: 23 from zoos, 43 from a single conservation center, and 45 from ranches. We found significantly higher genetic diversity and significantly lower inbreeding in herds housed in zoos and conservation centers, when compared to those in privately owned ranches, likely due to genetic-based breeding recommendations implemented in the former populations. Genetic clustering was strong among all three populations, possibly as a result of genetic drift. We propose that the North American ex situ population of sable antelope would benefit from a metapopulation management system, to halt genetic drift, reduce the occurrence of inbreeding, and enable sustainable population sizes to be managed ex situ.

KW - ex situ management

KW - genetic diversity

KW - genetic drift

KW - inbreeding

KW - metapopulation

KW - sable antelope

KW - POPULATION

KW - CAPTIVITY

KW - GENETIC ADAPTATION

KW - FORMAT

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85084141021&partnerID=8YFLogxK

UR - https://www.mendeley.com/catalogue/f5350804-92da-3e16-994a-5be529f2e90e/

U2 - 10.1111/eva.12976

DO - 10.1111/eva.12976

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85084141021

VL - 13

SP - 2143

EP - 2154

JO - Evolutionary Applications

JF - Evolutionary Applications

SN - 1752-4571

IS - 8

ER -