<
https://theconversation.com/back-from-the-brink-how-genome-research-is-helping-the-recovery-of-the-chatham-island-black-robin-194319>
"The story of Old Blue and Old Yellow, two Chatham Island black robins that
went on to save their species, is one of New Zealand’s best known conservation
stories.
Once abundant on Rēkohu/Chatham Islands before European arrival, the black
robin population crashed when rats invaded the archipelago. In the early 1900s,
35 black robins remained on a small island (Tapuaenuku/Little Mangere), but by
1976, only seven birds had survived.
They were moved to an adjacent, predator-free island (Maung’ Rē/Mangere) and
Old Blue and Old Yellow, the only remaining breeding pair, became “Adam and
Eve” for the species.
Conservation biologists worried such an extreme genetic bottleneck would lessen
the species’ chances of recovery by leading to an accumulation of genetic
defects. But our new genome study shows that, contrary to our expectations,
harmful genetic mutations have not increased since the severe decline."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
