Author:
Cooper Desmond W.,Herbert Catherine A.
Abstract
Wildlife management involves regulation of population numbers of wild
vertebrate species. In some cases there are too many animals and in others
there are too few. Genetic issues arise in both instances. The historical and
genetic evidence for the number of mammals that were in the founder
populations of successful colonizing species in Australia and New Zealand is
reviewed here. Small numbers have often given rise to large populations,
despite the concomitant loss of genetic variability. Restriction of the number
of over-abundant and pest species by either physical or chemical methods
frequently constitutes very strong artificial selection, which leads to rapid
genetic change; an example of major importance in the two countries is sodium
monofluoroacetate (compound 1080). Pathogenic agents, surgical sterilization,
hormonal contraceptives and translocation have all been used with varying
degrees of success. The strengths and weaknesses of these techniques are
assessed. A method that has received much attention is immunocontraception. We
argue that this attempt to use the animals’ own immune system to
modulate reproduction is incompatible with the basic biological function of
protection against infectious disease. Immune function genes are highly
variable in vertebrates, and so often genetic change in the population
subjected to immunocontraception is likely to be even more rapid than is the
case with lethal agents. Selection for failure to respond to the
immunocontraceptive will occur, and will change immune function in general.
Poor scientific description of ecosystem complexity makes it difficult to
predict the consequences of immunocontraception on wildlife populations.
Subject
Developmental Biology,Endocrinology,Genetics,Molecular Biology,Animal Science and Zoology,Reproductive Medicine,Biotechnology
Cited by
27 articles.
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