The Value of Reference Genomes in the Conservation of Threatened Species
Conservation initiatives are now more crucial than ever—over a million plant and animal species are at risk of extinction over the coming decades. The genetic management of threatened species held in insurance programs is recommended; however, few are taking advantage of the full range of...
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doaj-66f2fec0888f4385bb2b727ffd3b80352020-11-25T00:10:07ZengMDPI AGGenes2073-44252019-10-01101184610.3390/genes10110846genes10110846The Value of Reference Genomes in the Conservation of Threatened SpeciesParice Brandies0Emma Peel1Carolyn J. Hogg2Katherine Belov3School of Life & Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney 2006, AustraliaSchool of Life & Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney 2006, AustraliaSchool of Life & Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney 2006, AustraliaSchool of Life & Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney 2006, AustraliaConservation initiatives are now more crucial than ever—over a million plant and animal species are at risk of extinction over the coming decades. The genetic management of threatened species held in insurance programs is recommended; however, few are taking advantage of the full range of genomic technologies available today. Less than 1% of the 13505 species currently listed as threated by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) have a published genome. While there has been much discussion in the literature about the importance of genomics for conservation, there are limited examples of how having a reference genome has changed conservation management practice. The Tasmanian devil (<i>Sarcophilus harrisii</i>), is an endangered Australian marsupial, threatened by an infectious clonal cancer devil facial tumor disease (DFTD). Populations have declined by 80% since the disease was first recorded in 1996. A reference genome for this species was published in 2012 and has been crucial for understanding DFTD and the management of the species in the wild. Here we use the Tasmanian devil as an example of how a reference genome has influenced management actions in the conservation of a species.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4425/10/11/846conservationgenomestasmanian devil |
collection |
DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
Parice Brandies Emma Peel Carolyn J. Hogg Katherine Belov |
spellingShingle |
Parice Brandies Emma Peel Carolyn J. Hogg Katherine Belov The Value of Reference Genomes in the Conservation of Threatened Species Genes conservation genomes tasmanian devil |
author_facet |
Parice Brandies Emma Peel Carolyn J. Hogg Katherine Belov |
author_sort |
Parice Brandies |
title |
The Value of Reference Genomes in the Conservation of Threatened Species |
title_short |
The Value of Reference Genomes in the Conservation of Threatened Species |
title_full |
The Value of Reference Genomes in the Conservation of Threatened Species |
title_fullStr |
The Value of Reference Genomes in the Conservation of Threatened Species |
title_full_unstemmed |
The Value of Reference Genomes in the Conservation of Threatened Species |
title_sort |
value of reference genomes in the conservation of threatened species |
publisher |
MDPI AG |
series |
Genes |
issn |
2073-4425 |
publishDate |
2019-10-01 |
description |
Conservation initiatives are now more crucial than ever—over a million plant and animal species are at risk of extinction over the coming decades. The genetic management of threatened species held in insurance programs is recommended; however, few are taking advantage of the full range of genomic technologies available today. Less than 1% of the 13505 species currently listed as threated by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) have a published genome. While there has been much discussion in the literature about the importance of genomics for conservation, there are limited examples of how having a reference genome has changed conservation management practice. The Tasmanian devil (<i>Sarcophilus harrisii</i>), is an endangered Australian marsupial, threatened by an infectious clonal cancer devil facial tumor disease (DFTD). Populations have declined by 80% since the disease was first recorded in 1996. A reference genome for this species was published in 2012 and has been crucial for understanding DFTD and the management of the species in the wild. Here we use the Tasmanian devil as an example of how a reference genome has influenced management actions in the conservation of a species. |
topic |
conservation genomes tasmanian devil |
url |
https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4425/10/11/846 |
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