Adriatic Sturgeon Flashcards
What was the initial concern regarding the F1 generation of Adriatic sturgeon?
The haplotype frequencies in the F1 generation did not represent the genetic diversity of the parental population, with some haplotypes being overrepresented and others underrepresented or missing.
What does it mean when haplotypes are overrepresented or underrepresented in the F1 generation?
It indicates an uneven distribution of genetic diversity, where some genetic lineages are more common than expected, while others are less common or absent, leading to a loss of overall genetic diversity.
Why is genetic diversity important in a conservation program?
Genetic diversity helps ensure the long-term survival and adaptability of a population by providing a broader range of genetic material to respond to environmental changes and reducing the risk of inbreeding depression.
What is parental allocation, and why is it important in this context?
Parental allocation is the process of determining which parents produced which offspring. It is important for understanding how genetic diversity is passed on to the next generation and for identifying potential issues like inbreeding.
What did the analysis of parental allocation reveal about the F1 generation?
The analysis revealed a low number of familial groups in the F1 generation, indicating that the breeding practices might lead to high levels of inbreeding in future generations.
What was the risk if breeding continued without management?
If breeding continued without careful management, it would likely produce highly inbred fingerling stocks, which could lead to inbreeding depression and reduced fitness of the population.
Why was it urgent to produce new stocks of future breeders?
It was urgent to produce new stocks to preserve the remaining genetic variability, particularly from wild-origin individuals, and to prevent further loss of genetic diversity in the population.
What was the purpose of developing an easy tool for animal selection?
The tool was developed to help operators avoid mating closely related individuals by assessing the degree of relatedness, thereby reducing the risk of inbreeding in the breeding program.
Why was there a need to explore additional F1 stocks, especially those reared in Orzinuovi?
Exploring additional F1 stocks was necessary to uncover any remaining genetic variability and to ensure that this variability was considered in future breeding decisions.
How did the breeding matrix work in this case study?
The breeding matrix estimated pairwise genetic distances between potential breeders and categorized possible pairings as “TO BE AVOIDED,” “TO BE AVOIDED (if possible),” or “ALLOWED,” based on genetic distance thresholds to minimize inbreeding.
Why were wild-origin individuals prioritized in the breeding plan?
Wild-origin individuals were prioritized because they likely carried greater genetic diversity, which is crucial for maintaining the overall genetic health of the population.
What criteria were used to select which wild-origin individuals should be bred?
Individuals were selected based on how many reproductions they had already contributed to, ensuring that at least three families were produced per breeder while minimizing the number of crosses to maintain genetic diversity.
Why was the focus shifted from individual breeders to familial groups?
The focus shifted to familial groups to ensure that if selected individuals were unavailable, related individuals could still represent the genetic diversity of the group, reducing the need for genotyping every individual.
What was the purpose of excluding crosses between families with a shared parent?
Excluding crosses between families with a shared parent was done to prevent inbreeding and to maintain genetic diversity by avoiding the repetition of genetic contributions from the same lineage.
How did the breeding plan ensure that the genetic variability was maintained or increased?
The breeding plan ensured variability by prioritizing families with higher genetic value, avoiding inbreeding, and carefully selecting pairings based on genetic distance to create genetically diverse offspring.
