Inbreeding, genetic rescue and consequences of captive breeding in endangered species

由于环境变化和人类的影响，全世界大约30-50%的脊椎动物物种正在经历严重的种群减少。为了未来保护物种需要对种群水平的生态、人口和遗传过程有一个清晰的认识。温哥华岛土拨鼠（Marmota Vancouver）是加拿大最濒危的哺乳动物之一，与其他物种相似，目前用于拯救这些动物的策略包括圈养繁殖和重新引入。虽然这一策略通过增加野生土拨鼠的数量显示出短期的成功，但我们不知道这些重新引入的土拨鼠对物种长期恢复的生态和进化潜力（即适应性效应）有何贡献。我的长期研究目标是了解生态效应和进化潜力之间的动态相互作用，以及我们如何影响这些过程来拯救濒危种群。在接下来的五年里，我和我的学生将研究圈养和重新引入如何改变温哥华岛土拨鼠的遗传多样性和个体适应性，以及这些变化对物种的长期生存有什么影响。利用单核苷酸多态性，我们将通过评估近亲繁殖和相对适应成本、配偶选择和繁殖成功率，以及重新引入土拨鼠对野生种群的生态、社会和遗传结构的影响，来比较圈养种群和野生种群的生态和进化潜力。这些结果将为确定圈养繁殖和放归救援工作的有效性和后果提供基础。最终，该研究将极大地提高我们对生态进化动力学的理解，并将为全球其他濒危物种的救援策略提供范例。

Approximately 30-50% of vertebrate species worldwide are experiencing severe population declines as a result of environmental change and human impact. Safeguarding species for the future requires a clear understanding of population-level ecological, demographic and genetic processes. The Vancouver Island marmot (Marmota vancouverensis) is one of the most endangered mammals in Canada and, similar to other species, the strategy currently employed to save these animals involves captive breeding and reintroduction. While this strategy has shown short-term success by increasing the number of marmots in the wild, we do not know how these reintroduced marmots are contributing to the ecological and evolutionary potential (i.e. fitness effects) for long-term recovery of the species. My long-term research goal is to understand the dynamic interactions between ecological effects and evolutionary potential and how we can influence these processes to rescue endangered populations. Over the next five years, my students and I will determine how captivity and reintroduction has changed genetic diversity and individual fitness of Vancouver Island marmots, and what implications these changes have on the long-term survival of the species. Using single nucleotide polymorphisms we will compare the ecological and evolutionary potential of captive and wild populations through assessments of inbreeding and relative fitness costs, mate choice and reproductive success and the effects that reintroduced marmots have on ecological, social and genetic structure of wild populations. These outcomes will provide a basis for determining effectiveness and consequences of captive breeding and reintroduction rescue efforts. Ultimately, this research will greatly improve our understanding of eco-evolutionary dynamics and will serve as a model example for rescue strategies in other endangered species worldwide.