Lecture 5b: Reproductive Technology

Question 1

Threats to biodiversity

Answer 1

Climate change
Overexploitation
Invasive species
Habitat destruction
Pollution

Question 2

Goals of captive breeding programs

Answer 2

Maintain 90% genetic diversity for over 200 years

Question 3

Challenges to captive breeding programs

Answer 3

• genetic diversity
• lack of space
• husbandry expertise
• reproductive efficiency (age/sex structure, comparability)

Question 4

Herd/farm medicine

Answer 4

They are removed from the population if they are unfit and don’t have the proper reproductive health

Question 5

Individual medicine

Answer 5

The animal gets treated. Create a personalized medicine plan to address their needs

Question 6

How do captive breeding protocols disregard natural breeding strategies?

Answer 6

• mate choice
• sperm competition
• monogamy/polygamy
• unintended domestication (genetic adaptation to captivity)

Question 7

Assisted Reproductive Technology

Answer 7

• Hormone manipulation
• artificial insemination
• embryo transfer
• IVF
• Gamete/sperm cryopreservation
• intracytoplasmic sperm injection
• sperm/embryo sexing
• nuclear transfer

Question 8

How does assisted reproductive technology improve efficiency of breeding programs

Answer 8

• 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

Question 9

What is done first before assisted reproductive technologies?

Answer 9

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

Question 10

Hormone manipulation

Answer 10

Can use drugs to manipulate hormones to create positive situation that can support breeding event

Question 11

Types of hormone manipulation

Answer 11

Estrus synchronization
Ovarian super-stimulation
Ovulation induction
Contraception
Behavioural modification

Question 12

Examples of hormone manipulation

Answer 12

• 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

Question 13

Artificial Insemination

Answer 13

• sperm is injected into the female reproductive tract
• help to address small gene pool (BFF)
• global management of koalas
• distribution of genetics

Question 14

In Vitro Fertilization

Answer 14

• 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

Question 15

Nuclear Transfer

Answer 15

• 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

Question 16

Genetic Preservation: Gamete/Embryo Cryopreservation

Answer 16

• germplasm banking mainly contains male genetic material because sperms are more easily handled and frozen
• genetic preservation of coral reefs and wood bisons

Question 17

Kinship Mating

Answer 17

• assess their genetics using studbook
• mate them based on a specific genetic plan

Question 18

Genetically valuable and what makes them genetically valuable

Answer 18

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

Question 19

Challenges of hormone manipulation

Answer 19

need to have knowledge of their natural reproductive endocrinology to do this

Question 20

challenges of Artificial Insemination

Answer 20

need to know about fertilization potential and embryo development

Question 21

Challenges of IVF

Answer 21

Invasive retrieval of oocytes and needs specific tools and skills, successes are difficult to achieve

Question 22

challenges of nuclear transfer

Answer 22

most invasive and expensive