Mongabay · Natuur

First Genome Map of Visayan Spotted Deer Offers Hope for Conservation

Scientists have successfully sequenced the first draft genome of the critically endangered Visayan spotted deer, a discovery that could significantly aid conservation efforts for the species. This genetic roadmap may help guide strategies to prevent its extinction.

The Visayan spotted deer (Rusa alfredi), once widespread across the central Philippines, has faced severe population decline due to deforestation and hunting. Listed as endangered in 1988 and nationally critically endangered by 2019, its population was estimated at only around 700 mature individuals in 2016, now confined to the islands of Negros and Panay.

Researchers from Silliman University and the Philippine Genome Center Visayas collaborated to map the deer's DNA, using a tissue sample from a deceased captive deer named Abraham. The resulting genome, comprising 2.5 billion DNA letters and 24,531 genes, is the first sequenced for any of the Philippines' endangered mammals.

Analysis of Abraham's genome revealed a low heterozygosity score of 0.17, indicating close genetic relatedness between his parents and suggesting inbreeding within the captive population due to decades of isolation.

Despite the low score, the research identified a rare genetic marker in one sexually active individual that could potentially improve breeding outcomes and restore the colony's genetic health. This finding is expected to lead to a genome-based breeding protocol, replacing the previous method reliant solely on pedigree tracing.

To further boost genetic diversity, researchers advocate for resuming deer exchanges between captive facilities, including Silliman University’s CENTROP, Mari-it Wildlife and Conservation Park, and Negros Forest Park. The last such exchange occurred in 2007.

Future plans include testing the mixing of individuals from captive and wild populations to bridge the genetic gap, with initial trials proposed for the Bayawan Nature Reserve on Negros, which currently houses 70 deer.

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