howell-integratingbiobankingcould-2021.pdf (367.72 kB)
Integrating biobanking could produce significant cost benefits and minimise inbreeding for Australian amphibian captive breeding programs
journal contribution
posted on 2021-01-01, 00:00 authored by Lachlan HowellLachlan Howell, P R Mawson, R Frankham, J C Rodger, R M O Upton, R R Witt, N E Calatayud, S Clulow, J ClulowCaptive breeding is an important tool for amphibian conservation despite high economic costs and deleterious genetic effects of sustained captivity and unavoidably small colony sizes. Integration of biobanking and assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs) could provide solutions to these challenges, but is rarely used due to lack of recognition of the potential benefits and clear policy direction. Here we present compelling genetic and economic arguments to integrate biobanking and ARTs into captive breeding programs using modelled captive populations of two Australian threatened frogs, namely the orange-bellied frog Geocrinia vitellina and the white bellied frog Geocrinia alba. Back-crossing with frozen founder spermatozoa using ARTs every generation minimises rates of inbreeding and provides considerable reductions in colony size and program costs compared with conventional captive management. Biobanking could allow captive institutions to meet or exceed longstanding genetic retention targets (90% of source population heterozygosity over 100 years). We provide a broad policy direction that could make biobanking technology a practical reality across Australia’s ex situ management of amphibians in current and future holdings. Incorporating biobanking technology widely across this network could deliver outcomes by maintaining high levels of source population genetic diversity and freeing economic resources to develop ex situ programs for a greater number of threatened amphibian species.
History
Journal
Reproduction, Fertility and DevelopmentVolume
33Issue
9Pagination
573 - 587Publisher
CSIRO PublishingLocation
Clayton, Vic.Publisher DOI
Link to full text
ISSN
1031-3613eISSN
1448-5990Language
engPublication classification
C1.1 Refereed article in a scholarly journalUsage metrics
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anuranartificial reproductive technologiescaptive survival-assurance coloniesCHALLENGESCONSERVATIONcryopreservationDECLINESDevelopmental BiologyEFFECTIVE POPULATION-SIZEfroggenome resource bankingHORMONE-RELEASING HORMONEIVFLife Sciences & BiomedicineMANAGEMENTReproductive BiologyREPRODUCTIVE TECHNOLOGIESScience & TechnologySPERMIATIONTOADLETWILDLIFEZoology
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