Published June 10, 2021 at 12.12
Domestic. Researchers show in a new study published in Science that harmful mutations that accumulate in the genome (genome) play an important – but neglected – role in conservation biological measures for endangered species.
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Many species today are highly endangered, both locally and globally. In Sweden, we have completely lost several species, such as the common woodpecker and the veronic net butterfly.
– However, these species still occur in other places in Europe, which means that they could be reintroduced in Sweden. Our computer simulations show how we could theoretically maximize the success of such re-releases, says Bengt Hansson, biologist at Lund University.
In the study, the researchers examined which individuals are most suitable for establishing new populations. In the past, conservation geneticists have advocated moving the most genetically variable individuals, but in the new study, researchers show that it is important to consider the type of genetic variation you move around.
Using computer simulations, they show that harmful mutations found in the genome of displaced individuals can cause problems for future generations. This so-called “mutation burden” can jeopardize the viability of the new populations in the long run and eventually lead to extinction.
According to Bengt Hansson, who led the study together with Cock van Oosterhout at the University of East Anglia in Norwich, is the best choice to exclude individuals with many harmful mutations, while choosing individuals from several different source populations.
– Actively moving individuals between places is often the last option you as a conservation biologist have available to save endangered species. By carefully selecting individuals based on their mutation load, we can try to minimize the harmful effects normally associated with inbreeding in small populations, says Bengt Hansson.
Great advances have been made in DNA sequencing technology, and the entire genome of individuals can are now sequenced for relatively low costs. This opens up new opportunities to improve the management of endangered species.
– For many species of mammals and birds, we now know which mutations are harmful. Similar mutations also exist in humans, so we understand what they do, and therefore we know what to look for when analyzing DNA for these species. This means that we can rule out the bad mutations even before they cause problems. Our computer model shows that it at least theoretically ensures the highest possibility for population survival. This can help conservation biologists select optimal individuals for re-establishment, says Cock van Oosterhout.