Lecture 5b: Reproductive Technology Flashcards
Threats to biodiversity
Climate change
Overexploitation
Invasive species
Habitat destruction
Pollution
Goals of captive breeding programs
Maintain 90% genetic diversity for over 200 years
Challenges to captive breeding programs
- genetic diversity
- lack of space
- husbandry expertise
- reproductive efficiency (age/sex structure, comparability)
Herd/farm medicine
They are removed from the population if they are unfit and don’t have the proper reproductive health
Individual medicine
The animal gets treated. Create a personalized medicine plan to address their needs
How do captive breeding protocols disregard natural breeding strategies?
- mate choice
- sperm competition
- monogamy/polygamy
- unintended domestication (genetic adaptation to captivity)
Assisted Reproductive Technology
- Hormone manipulation
- artificial insemination
- embryo transfer
- IVF
- Gamete/sperm cryopreservation
- intracytoplasmic sperm injection
- sperm/embryo sexing
- nuclear transfer
How does assisted reproductive technology improve efficiency of breeding programs
- resolve fertility issues
- overcome behavioural incompatibility
- fulfill natural mating strategies
- reduce population size
- eliminate transportation of animals
- extend generation intervals
- preservation and distribution of genetics
What is done first before assisted reproductive technologies?
Support natural breeding:
- monitor the hormones (ex. through collecting its poop)
- understanding reproduction: VMI are seasonal testerone production and told us the age of sexual maturation
- evaluating fertility: male otter was not producing testerone
- confirm pregnancy: giraffe - help to prepare
- wild population: collaborate with hunters, determine the pregnancy rate of wild moose
Hormone manipulation
Can use drugs to manipulate hormones to create positive situation that can support breeding event
Types of hormone manipulation
Estrus synchronization
Ovarian super-stimulation
Ovulation induction
Contraception
Behavioural modification
Examples of hormone manipulation
- Female rhino was getting pregnant but she was miscarrying
- Looked at her progesterone levels and they were very low
- Gave progesterone supplement which created a successful offspring
- gave conception (human) to gorillas to prevent pregnancy
Artificial Insemination
- sperm is injected into the female reproductive tract
- help to address small gene pool (BFF)
- global management of koalas
- distribution of genetics
In Vitro Fertilization
- We need to learn more about the animal to do this since it is more invasive
- Invasive retrieval of oocytes requires specific tools and skill
- Insemination occurs outside of the animal’s body
Happens in a dish in a lab - Successes are difficult to achieve
- used for Oregon spotted frog and cervids
Nuclear Transfer
- cloning
- Very expensive and invasive
- has been used for the black-footed ferrets (critically low genetic diversity)
- Resurrection of extinct species is another way it can be used for
Genetic Preservation: Gamete/Embryo Cryopreservation
- germplasm banking mainly contains male genetic material because sperms are more easily handled and frozen
- genetic preservation of coral reefs and wood bisons
Kinship Mating
- assess their genetics using studbook
- mate them based on a specific genetic plan
Genetically valuable and what makes them genetically valuable
Animals that are genetically valuable will be put 1 on their kinship program
Animals are deemed genetically valuable
- if they are not reproducing
- come from lineage that is known to not produce a lot of offspring
Challenges of hormone manipulation
need to have knowledge of their natural reproductive endocrinology to do this
challenges of Artificial Insemination
need to know about fertilization potential and embryo development
Challenges of IVF
Invasive retrieval of oocytes and needs specific tools and skills, successes are difficult to achieve
challenges of nuclear transfer
most invasive and expensive