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Unlike most canids, versatile and capable of navigating vast landscapes, endangered Ethiopian wolves (Canis simensis) are endemic to an archipelago of Afroalpine islands. As a habitat specialist, the Ethiopian wolf is ill‐equipped to move across a highly transformed and densely populated agriculture matrix. Hard borders imposed by expanding subsistence agriculture lock Ethiopian wolves into further isolation, with few opportunities for dispersal and recolonisation. We report and evaluate empirical information from long‐term monitoring across the species' range to understand processes of habitat loss, recolonisation and extinction in recent and historical times, and to assess what conservation measures and strategies would ensure their persistence. Ethiopian wolves occurred in six isolated populations, totalling 454 wolves (population sizes ranged between 281 and 24) occupying 2700 km2 of Afroalpine habitat. We describe three population extinctions and three local extinctions within fragmented populations, and present evidence of factors accelerating the extinction process, such as disease (rabies and canine distemper virus), persecution, road kills and poisoning. Of all the suitable habitat available to wolves, 86% was included within nine protected areas, including three new Community Conservation Areas and two national park extensions in the past 10 years. As all Ethiopian wolf populations are small and vulnerable to stochastic events and environmental perturbation, conservation efforts to ensure the long‐term survival of the species need to integrate: 1) support for protected areas to halt agriculture encroachment and to regulate sustainable uses of natural resources; 2) efforts to minimise all causes of mortality, including but not limited to disease; and 3) conservation translocations to overcome fundamental barriers to dispersal in the highlands of Ethiopia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Between 1925 and 1930, 11 or 12 non‐native mountain goats (Oreamnos americanus) were translocated from Alaska and British Columbia to the foothills of the Olympic Range. By 1970, descendants of these goats had colonized the entire range and concerns about the management of this introduced species developed as damage to alpine soil and vegetation occurred. A series of removals reduced the population from 1175 in 1983 to 389 by 1990, eventually growing to 584 in 2016. We used demographic and genetic data to parameterize a population genetics individual‐based simulation model of the Olympic Range mountain goats. We calibrated the model to replicate the population trajectory for Olympic mountain goats from establishment in the 1920s through the 1983 first census. As expected, modeled population dynamics from 1928 to 1983 mimicked parameter initialization from expanding populations. However, simulated heterozygosity did not align with observations, suggesting a process not accounted for within the simulation model, such as a bottleneck or founder effect. Sensitivity analyses showed changes in annual reproductive rate, juvenile mortality, and adult female mortality influencing population trajectories, but variation in male mortality revealed no changes. Evaluating the population dynamics of the model after removals showed that approximately 80% of the total animals removed during the 1980s needed to be female in order for the observed population estimates to occur. This model has the potential to be used more widely with established or introduced mountain goat populations, as well as to provide an approach for studying other introduced species and their population dynamics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Genetic diversity is rapidly lost from small, isolated populations by genetic drift. Measuring the level of genetic drift using effective population size (Ne) is highly useful for management. Single‐cohort genetic Ne estimators approximate the number of breeders in one season (Nb): a value < 100 signals likely inbreeding depression. Per‐generation Ne < 1000 estimated from multiple cohort signals reduced adaptive potential. Natural populations rarely meet assumptions of Ne‐estimation, so interpreting estimates is challenging. Macquarie perch is an endangered Australian freshwater fish threatened by severely reduced range, habitat loss, and fragmentation. To counteract low Ne, augmented gene flow is being implemented in several populations. In the Murrumbidgee River, unknown effects of water management on among‐site connectivity impede the design of effective interventions. Using DArT SNPs for 328 Murrumbidgee individuals sampled across several sites and years with different flow conditions, we assessed population structure, site isolation, heterozygosity, inbreeding, and Ne. We tested for inbreeding depression, assessed genetic diversity and dispersal, and evaluated whether individuals translocated from Cataract Reservoir to the Murrumbidgee River bred, and interbred with local fish. We found strong genetic structure, indicating complete or partial isolation of river fragments. This structure violates assumptions of Ne estimation, resulting in strongly downwardly biased Nb estimates unless assessed per‐site, highlighting the necessity to account for population structure while estimating Ne. Inbreeding depression was not detected, but with low Nb at each site, inbreeding and inbreeding depression are likely. These results flagged the necessity to address within‐river population connectivity through flow management and genetic mixing through translocations among sites and from other populations. Three detected genetically diverse offspring of a translocated Cataract fish and a local parent indicated that genetic mixing is in progress. Including admixed individuals in estimates yielded lower Ne but higher heterozygosity, suggesting heterozygosity is a preferable indicator of genetic augmentation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Globalization has led to the frequent movement of species out of their native habitat. Some of these species become highly invasive and capable of profoundly altering invaded ecosystems. Feral swine (Sus scrofa × domesticus) are recognized as being among the most destructive invasive species, with populations established on all continents except Antarctica. Within the United States (US), feral swine are responsible for extensive crop damage, the destruction of native ecosystems, and the spread of disease. Purposeful human‐mediated movement of feral swine has contributed to their rapid range expansion over the past 30 years. Patterns of deliberate introduction of feral swine have not been well described as populations may be established or augmented through small, undocumented releases. By leveraging an extensive genomic database of 18,789 samples genotyped at 35,141 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), we used deep neural networks to identify translocated feral swine across the contiguous US. We classified 20% (3364/16,774) of sampled animals as having been translocated and described general patterns of translocation using measures of centrality in a network analysis. These findings unveil extensive movement of feral swine well beyond their dispersal capabilities, including individuals with predicted origins >1000 km away from their sampling locations. Our study provides insight into the patterns of human‐mediated movement of feral swine across the US and from Canada to the northern areas of the US. Further, our study validates the use of neural networks for studying the spread of invasive species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Understanding how landscape characteristics affect animal movement is essential for conservation in human-dominated habitats. A fundamental question is how monoculture agroforests, including rubber and tea plantations, affect wildlife and its movement. Experimental translocations represent an important technique to assess animals' habitat selection while moving through agricultural matrices, especially when complemented with observations of birds' natural movements, and with "control" translocations, in which birds are moved within their natural habitat such as forest. Yet, experimental translocations have been little used for birds outside the Western Hemisphere. Methods: We conducted experimental translocations and home-range measurements on an understory forest specialist, Brown-capped Babbler (BCBA, Pellorneum fuscocapillus), and a forest generalist, Tickell's Blue Flycatcher (TBFL, Cyornis tickelliae). These species were studied in three rubber plantations, which also included some open areas mostly planted with tea, and in three forest reserves of Sri Lanka. Results: Four of the five BCBAs translocated within disturbed habitats (rubber plantations) could not return to their capture locations. However, all four individuals within undisturbed habitats (forest reserves) successfully returned to their point of origin within 10.5 daytime hours. In contrast, all TBFLs returned to their capture locations in both disturbed (n = 7) and undisturbed habitats (n = 3) within 11.3 daytime hours. A Cox-proportional survival model demonstrated that the percentage of rubber cover decreased return time, similar to the effect of open-area cover. The home range surveys (n = 13 for BCBA, n = 10 for TBFL) revealed that very little of the birds' natural home-ranges was covered by rubber (0.2% for BCBA, 13.1% for TBFL at 50% Kernel Density Estimates KDE). Home range size for BCBA was approximately half the size in disturbed habitats compared to undisturbed ones, although there was no significant difference between habitats for TBFL. Conclusions: We conclude that rubber plantations can be impermeable to understory habitat specialist birds, and even generalist species may avoid them long-term. Our findings highlight the potential utility of strips of native vegetation, particularly those featuring understory layers, as corridors to facilitate the movement of forest specialists in landscapes dominated by rubber plantations and other types of disturbed habitats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The combination of the increasing demand of freshwater crayfish exports, the reduced population sizes due to overfishing, the crayfish plague epidemics and the habitat degradation, have led to unrecorded translocations of Pontastacus leptodactylus in Greek lakes. Methods and results: In the present study, the genetics of five narrow clawed crayfish (P. leptodactylus) populations were studied, namely three translocated populations inhabiting in Northern Greece, one native Greek population from Evros river and one potential progeny source population from Turkey. Nine microsatellite loci previously designed for the specific species were investigated, in order to assess the levels of genetic diversity and further to confirm the origin of these translocated populations some decades after the translocation events. Our results confirmed that the source population for the translocated Greek population is the Turkish lake Eğirdir. Further, despite the low values of the number of alleles, heterozygosity, and FST the populations were generally diverse, providing evidence for local adaptation. Conclusions: The low values of FIS for the translocated populations in combination with the high values of gene flow, possibly indicate the existence of re-introducing events. Apart from the translocated populations, high levels of genetic diversity and heterozygosity were observed in Evros population, suggesting it as a possible unit for future conservation purposes both as a donor population for reintroduction purposes as well as a unique gene pool protection source. To the best of our knowledge this is the first study dealing with the genetic composition of Greek P. leptodactylus populations from Nothern Greece, operating as a first step towards the development of proper management practices for restocking events and monitoring of translocated populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the North American longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) ecosystem, the Gopher Tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus) is a keystone species that has declined significantly over the last century. Habitat degradation and fragmentation may have caused G. polyphemus to become separated into small, isolated local populations that suffer from decreased genetic diversity or inbreeding depression. Here we use genome-scale methods to sequence thousands of loci for 336 G. polyphemus individuals from 11 sites across southern Alabama to estimate population genetic structure and levels of genetic diversity. We found a pattern of isolation by distance among samples, where geographic distance predicted genetic difference. Principal components and structure analyses supported the existence of three weak genetic populations comprising individuals from (1) Fred T. Stimpson State Game Sanctuary and Perdido Wildlife Management Area, (2) Conecuh National Forest and Solon Dixon Forestry Education Center, and (3) Geneva State Forest Wildlife Management Area. We did not observe strong variation in genetic diversity or effective population size metrics among sampling locations or genetic populations identified by population structure analyses. Our results suggest that G. polyphemus historically operated on larger geographic scales than those considered by contemporary mark-recapture studies. Absence of variation in population genetic metrics suggests that either effects of fragmentation have not manifested themselves, or that the effects are similar across all locations. Given the common use of translocations in Gopher Tortoise management, we provide a framework for tortoise translocations based on our genomic data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biological invasions, driven by human-mediated species movements, pose significant threats to global ecosystems and economies. The classification of non-native species is a complex issue intertwining ecological considerations and ethical concerns. The need for nuanced and less ambiguous terminology is emphasised, considering biogeographic, evolutionary, and ecological principles. In-country translocations of native species into ecosystems in which they do not naturally occur, are often overlooked and are the least regulated among species movements, despite being increasingly common in conservation. Our case studies, spanning various ecosystems and taxa, illustrate the diverse impacts of translocations on native species and ecosystems. The challenges associated with translocated species underscore the urgency for robust risk management strategies and rigorous monitoring. A comprehensive and adaptable management framework that considers translocated species for evidence-based management decisions is critical for navigating the complexities of translocations effectively, ensuring the conservation of biodiversity and ecosystem sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Augmenting depleted genetic diversity can improve the fitness and evolutionary potential of wildlife populations, but developing effective management approaches requires genetically monitored test cases. One such case is the small, isolated and inbred Cotter River population of an endangered Australian freshwater fish, the Macquarie perch Macquaria australasica, which over 3 years (2017–2019) received 71 translocated migrants from a closely related, genetically more diverse population. We used genetic monitoring to test whether immigrants bred, interbred with local fish and augmented population genetic diversity. We also investigated whether levels of river flow affected recruitment, inbreeding depression and juvenile dispersal. Fish length was used to estimate the age, birth year cohort and growth of 524 individuals born between 2016 and 2020 under variable flow conditions. DArT genome‐wide genotypes were used to assess individual ancestry, heterozygosity, short‐term effective population size and identify parent‐offspring and full‐sibling families. Of 442 individuals born after translocations commenced, only two (0.45%) were of mixed ancestry; these were half‐sibs with one translocated parent in common. Numbers of breeders and genetic diversity for five birth year cohorts of the Cotter River fish were low, especially in low‐flow years. Additionally, individuals born in the year of lowest flow evidently suffered from inbreeding depression for juvenile growth. The year of highest flow was associated with the largest number of breeders, lowest inbreeding in the offspring and greatest juvenile dispersal distances. Genetic diversity decreased in the upstream direction, flagging restricted access of breeders to the most upstream breeding sites, exacerbated by low river flow. Our results suggest that the effectiveness of translocations could be increased by focussing on upstream sites and moving more individuals per year; using riverine sources should be considered. Our results indicate that river flow sufficient to facilitate fish movement through the system would increase the number of breeders, promote individuals' growth, reduce inbreeding depression and promote genetic rescue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Australian lungfish is a primitive and endangered representative of the subclass Dipnoi. The distribution of this species is limited to south‐east Queensland, with some populations considered endemic and others possibly descending from translocations in the late nineteenth century shortly after European discovery. Attempts to resolve the historical distribution of this species have met with conflicting results based on descriptive genetic studies. Understanding if all populations are endemic or some are the result of, or influenced by, translocation events, has implications for conservation management. In this work, we analysed the genetic variation at three types of markers (mtDNA genomes, 11 STRs and 5196 nuclear SNPs) using the approximate Bayesian computation (ABC) algorithm to compare several demographic models. We postulated different contributions of Mary River and Burnett River gene pools into the Brisbane River and North Pine River populations, related to documented translocation events. We ran the analysis for each marker type separately, and we also estimated the posterior probabilities of the models combining the markers. Nuclear SNPs have the highest power to correctly identify the true model among the simulated datasets (where the model was known), but different marker types typically provided similar answers. The most supported demographic model able to explain the real dataset implies that an endemic gene pool is still present in the Brisbane and North Pine Rivers and coexists with the gene pools derived from past documented translocation events. These results support the view that ABC modelling can be useful to reconstruct complex historical translocation events with contemporary implications, and will inform ongoing conservation efforts for the endangered and iconic Australian lungfish. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the last 10,000 y, humans have manipulated fallow deer populations with varying outcomes. Persian fallow deer (Dama mesopotamica) are now endangered. European fallow deer (Dama dama) are globally widespread and are simultaneously considered wild, domestic, endangered, invasive and are even the national animal of Barbuda and Antigua. Despite their close association with people, there is no consensus regarding their natural ranges or the timing and circumstances of their human-mediated translocations and extirpations. Our mitochondrial analyses of modern and archaeological specimens revealed two distinct clades of European fallow deer present in Anatolia and the Balkans. Zooarchaeological evidence suggests these regions were their sole glacial refugia. By combining biomolecular analyses with archaeological and textual evidence, we chart the declining distribution of Persian fallow deer and demonstrate that humans repeatedly translocated European fallow deer, sourced from the most geographically distant populations. Deer taken to Neolithic Chios and Rhodes derived not from nearby Anatolia, but from the Balkans. Though fallow deer were translocated throughout the Mediterranean as part of their association with the Greco-Roman goddesses Artemis and Diana, deer taken to Roman Mallorca were not locally available Dama dama, but Dama mesopotamica. Romans also initially introduced fallow deer to Northern Europe but the species became extinct and was reintroduced in the medieval period, this time from Anatolia. European colonial powers then transported deer populations across the globe. The biocultural histories of fallow deer challenge preconceptions about the divisions between wild and domestic species and provide information that should underpin modern management strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Supplemental feeding is a common soft‐release strategy for increasing settlement, survival, and breeding in animals after translocation. However, supplemental feeding can also hinder natural patterns of dispersal or influence social interactions. Some drawbacks of feeding can be mitigated if feeding stations can function as management tools for directing animals' movement, for example, by guiding them toward wild food resources or prospective territories while directing them away from potential threats, for example, predator hotspots or urban/agricultural centers. However, these effects may not work equally across individuals or habitat types. For species such as 'alalā (Corvus hawaiiensis), Hawaii's last living corvid, being able to manipulate space use via supplemental feeders could improve reintroduction outcomes. We determined if and how feeding stations influence a released population of 'alalā by strategically moving feeders across varying distances and habitat types, while measuring how quickly birds discovered new feeders and how their space use changed. We found that 'alalā discovered feeders more rapidly in closed as opposed to open canopy habitat, and feeder movement influenced how far 'alalā ranged, especially in afternoon periods. Sex, social network position, and individual home range size did not predict feeder discovery. These insights offer lessons for using supplemental feeding when managing reintroductions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Spontaneous chromosomal rearrangements (CRs) play an essential role in speciation, genome evolution and crop domestication. To be able to use the potential of CRs for breeding, plant chromosome engineering was initiated by fragmenting chromosomes by X‐ray irradiation. With the rise of the CRISPR/Cas system, it became possible to induce double‐strand breaks (DSBs) in a highly efficient manner at will at any chromosomal position. This has enabled a completely new level of predesigned chromosome engineering. The genetic linkage between specific genes can be broken by inducing chromosomal translocations. Natural inversions, which suppress genetic exchange, can be reverted for breeding. In addition, various approaches for constructing minichromosomes by downsizing regular standard A or supernumerary B chromosomes, which could serve as future vectors in plant biotechnology, have been developed. Recently, a functional synthetic centromere could be constructed. Also, different ways of genome haploidization have been set up, some based on centromere manipulations. In the future, we expect to see even more complex rearrangements, which can be combined with previously developed engineering technologies such as recombinases. Chromosome engineering might help to redefine genetic linkage groups, change the number of chromosomes, stack beneficial genes on mini cargo chromosomes, or set up genetic isolation to avoid outcrossing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work presents the results of the use of three-color FISH-staining of chromosomes (DNA probes to pairs of chromosomes 1, 4, and 12) for the cytogenetic study of peripheral blood lymphocyte cultures of four patients at different times after irradiation in various emergency situations. All patients had initial dose estimations: one by EPR signal in the tooth enamel (1.12 Gy) and three by dicentric frequencies (1.9, 3.2, and 4.3 Gy). There was a strong significant linear correlation between the observed translocation frequencies and the initial dose estimations. Retrospective indication of the dose by translocation frequencies was carried out with the help of the dose–effect curve, obtained on the basis of experiments with the irradiation of blood of healthy donors in vitro. At the same time, the dose estimates in the long term after irradiation in three of these patients with the greatest lesions were significantly lower than they had been established earlier (1.26, 2.06, and 2.47 Gy). Coincidence of the initial and repeated results was observed only in one remaining patient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evaluation of age effect on the frequency of radiation-induced translocations, registered using FISH in circulating T-lymphocytes in the long-term period after exposure, is both of theoretical and practical interest for the purposes of biodosimetry. The objective of our study was to analyze the dose dependence of the translocation frequency in the peripheral blood T-lymphocytes in donors of different age who were exposed in the Techa riverside settlements (n = 197). In cytogenetic studies, whole chromosome painting probes were used to stain three pairs of chromosomes. A total of 104 721 genome equivalents (GE) were studied and 2540 translocations were found. For each donor, the individual absorbed doses in organs and tissues at the time of blood sampling were calculated using the Techa River Dosimetry System. In addition, doses to T-lymphocytes and their progenitors were calculated using the innovative modelling approach with due account of age related-dynamics of T-lymphocytes. The age dependence of the translocation frequency was associated particularly with these doses. The main sources of donor exposure were 89,90Sr, accumulating in bones and irradiating the bone marrow almost locally. To assess the parameters of the dose-effect relationship, linear regression model was used. After taking into account background values, the lowest frequency of translocations per 1000 GE per Gy was found in donors aged 0–5 years at the time of exposure (9.3 ± 1.3), which is statistically significantly lower than in children aged 6–18 years (15.3 ± 1.5), but not in adults (11.9 ± 2.9). The value for adults (>18 years) was characterized by the maximum scatter, but was similar to the values obtained in an international study of nuclear enterprise personnel after external exposure (11.6 ± 1.6). The values of the background translocation frequencies registered in various age groups correspond to the published data obtained in a joint international study on unexposed donors. We have also confirmed the absence of sex-effect on the frequency of translocations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract—A review of the information published in the scientific literature and relating to estimation of spontaneous levels of translocations detected by various methods of FISH-staining of chromosomes in the human peripheral blood lymphocyte cultures is presented. Various authors using single, two, and three-color variants are generally indicated by a significant increase in the frequencies of these chromosome aberrations with an increase in the donor age and the absence of the influence of gender. An increase in the translocation yield was recorded for persistent smokers and, apparently, alcoholics. It was recognized as impossible to divide the effect of the race and the territorial position of research laboratories. At the same time, countries can differ significantly in terms of the lifestyle of the population, the background impact of ionizing radiation, and the medical services used, in particular, in terms of the volume of implemented radiation diagnostic research. It limits the use of spontaneous damage levels of chromosomes determined by international studies and indicates the desirability to have relevant data for individual populations. At the same time, it is necessary to state the limitation of similar information about the frequencies of translocations detected with multicolored FISH-staining in the control groups of people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract—A review of the information published in the scientific literature and relating to estimation of spontaneous levels of translocations detected by various methods of FISH-staining of chromosomes in the human peripheral blood lymphocyte cultures is presented. Various authors using single, two, and three-color variants are generally indicated by a significant increase in the frequencies of these chromosome aberrations with an increase in the donor age and the absence of the influence of gender. An increase in the translocation yield was recorded for persistent smokers and, apparently, alcoholics. It was recognized as impossible to divide the effect of the race and the territorial position of research laboratories. At the same time, countries can differ significantly in terms of the lifestyle of the population, the background impact of ionizing radiation, and the medical services used, in particular, in terms of the volume of implemented radiation diagnostic research. It limits the use of spontaneous damage levels of chromosomes determined by international studies and indicates the desirability to have relevant data for individual populations. At the same time, it is necessary to state the limitation of similar information about the frequencies of translocations detected with multicolored FISH-staining in the control groups of people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The BOP (Bambusoideae, Oryzoideae, and Pooideae) clade of the Poaceae has a common ancestor, with similarities to the genomes of rice, Oryza sativa (2n = 24; genome size 389 Mb) and Brachypodium, Brachypodium distachyon (2n = 10; 271 Mb). We exploit chromosome-scale genome assemblies to show the nature of genomic expansion, structural variation, and chromosomal rearrangements from rice and Brachypodium, to diploids in the tribe Aveneae (e.g., Avena longiglumis, 2n = 2x = 14; 3,961 Mb assembled to 3,850 Mb in chromosomes). Results: Most of the Avena chromosome arms show relatively uniform expansion over the 10-fold to 15-fold genome-size increase. Apart from non-coding sequence diversification and accumulation around the centromeres, blocks of genes are not interspersed with blocks of repeats, even in subterminal regions. As in the tribe Triticeae, blocks of conserved synteny are seen between the analyzed species with chromosome fusion, fission, and nesting (insertion) events showing deep evolutionary conservation of chromosome structure during genomic expansion. Unexpectedly, the terminal gene-rich chromosomal segments (representing about 50 Mb) show translocations between chromosomes during speciation, with homogenization of genome-specific repetitive elements within the tribe Aveneae. Newly-formed intergenomic translocations of similar extent are found in the hexaploid A. sativa. Conclusions: The study provides insight into evolutionary mechanisms and speciation in the BOP clade, which is valuable for measurement of biodiversity, development of a clade-wide pangenome, and exploitation of genomic diversity through breeding programs in Poaceae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Morphological similarity between an intruder and a native species can hinder the detection of the intruder. The undetected non-native species will thus have more time to affect the local ecosystem and spread. This paper describes an instance of unnoticed introduction of a fish species morphologically resembling a native endemic species. We report on the first established population of the Rhodes minnow, Ladigesocypris ghigii (Actinopterygii: Leuciscidae), endemic to Rhodes Island, which has been recently introduced to a river near Athens, mainland Greece. When it was first noticed, in 2017, the species was misidentified due to its morphological similarity to Pelasgus marathonicus, the only native leuciscid of the streams and rivers around Athens, until it was subject to genetic and detailed morphological examination. Genetic analyses based on both mitochondrial (cytochrome b) and nuclear (recombination activating gene, RAG1) markers unambiguously identified the collected individuals and provided information on the relationships of Ladigesocypris at both the species and generic level. Our investigation supports that L. ghigii was recently established near Athens, and that the population probably originated from Rhodes Island, an eastern Aegean island. In 2021, a high-density thriving mainland population coexisted solely with the native European eel (Anguilla anguilla) along at least 9.7 km of river habitat. It was assessed as being of high invasive risk for the region where it was established by the Aquatic Species Invasiveness Screening Kit (AS-ISK) screening tool. We propose a feasibility study be undertaken to investigate the application of measures that may include actions to exterminate or contain the population. Special attention is required since the species is considered vulnerable in its native range, while the translocated population coexists with native biota within a stream ecosystem of outstanding local conservation value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. Given the effort and resources that go into collecting and maintaining seed collections, it is crucial that we maximise their usefulness. Conservation, restoration and research rely heavily on good quality collections in order to establish new populations, create habitat, minimise extinction and address scientific questions. Aims. Although seed viability, excellent metadata and genetic representativeness make for good quality collections, we provide 10 detailed reasons why the maintenance of separate maternal lines further increases the quality and usefulness of seed collections. Key results. Maternal line seed collections can accommodate new information, this is especially important given the increasing longevity of seed collections. For example, maintaining separate maternal lines facilitates accommodation of taxonomic changes, minimises the impact of erroneous plant identifications, and facilitates separation of polyploid races, hybrids and inappropriate lineages. Separate maternal line collections also facilitate better estimates of the genetic diversity captured, and consequently better inform conservation translocations and the establishment of conservation gardens and seed orchards. Separate maternal line collections can also expedite breeding for specific traits, such as disease resistance or other selective challenges that impact on biodiversity conservation. New seed microbiome data show how only some maternal lines contain pathogenic fungi, reminding seed collectors and collections managers that contamination can be better contained by keeping each maternal line separate. Conclusions and implications. Maintaining separate maternal lines is a simple and effective way to increase the value of seed collections for multiple applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: NUP98 rearrangements are frequent events in myeloid malignancies, especially in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). AML patients carrying NUP98 fusions show poor response to standard treatments and adverse outcomes. This review focuses on recent progress in understanding the underlying mechanisms of NUP98 fusion driven leukemias and the development of therapeutics against them. NUP98 fusions constitute a small subgroup of AML patients and remain a high-risk AML subtype. There are approximately 30 types of NUP98 fusions identified in AML patients. These patients show resistance to currently available therapies and poor clinical outcomes. NUP98 fusions with different fusion partners have oncogenic transformation potential. This review describes how the NUP98 gene acquires oncogenic properties after rearrangement with multiple partners. In the mechanistic part, the formation of nuclear bodies and dysregulation of the HoxA/Meis1 pathway are highlighted. This review also discusses mutational signatures among NUP98 fusions and their significance in leukemogenesis. It also discusses the clinical implications of NUP98 fusions and their associated mutations in AML patients. Furthermore, it highlights therapeutic vulnerabilities in these leukemias that can be exploited as therapeutic strategies. Lastly, this review discusses the gaps in our knowledge regarding NUP98 fusions in AML, as well as future research opportunities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Captivity can alter the stress physiology and behaviour of an animal in both the short‐ and long‐term through repetitive exposure to novel stressors and, subsequently, may reduce the success of conservation efforts such as translocation and reintroduction. The Tasmanian devil (Sarcophilus harrisii) is threatened with extinction from a fatal facial tumour disease which has led to the establishment of an insurance meta‐population designed for future reintroductions of disease‐free devils. The meta‐population is comprised of intensive captive and free‐range captive environments; however, no study has yet examined the long‐term physiological implications of captivity on devils. We used non‐invasive faecal glucocorticoid metabolite (FGM) monitoring to determine if there were any differences in adrenal activity among intensive captive, free‐range captive and wild devils. FGM levels were not age or sex dependent, and we found that all population types had similar intra‐population variability and mean FGMs. In conclusion, both types of captive environment appear to maintain stress profiles similar to wild devils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Translocated populations often show vigorous initial dynamics but eventually collapse. Modeling tools that incorporate basic ecological knowledge and allow for propagation of uncertainty can help identify potential risks. Here, we use Bayesian Integral Projection Models to estimate population growth rates (λs), associated elasticities, and extinction risks for the endangered Dicerandra christmanii. Our study compared natural populations in gaps (open areas) within the shrub matrix and roadsides, unoccupied gaps augmented with transplants, and introduced populations. These populations experienced different management, including prescribed fires, and had different initial conditions. Augmented gaps showed lower means but similar variation in λs as natural gaps. Yet, simulations indicate that augmentations can delay quasi‐extinction (40% of simulations) by 4 years at the population level. Introduced populations showed higher means and variation in λs as wild gaps. While vital rate estimates suggested initial translocation success, time to quasi‐extinction was projected to be 7 years shorter for introductions in gaps than for natural gap populations. These contradictory results are partially explained by the lack of established seed banks in introduced populations, which affected the response of early life stage transitions to a prescribed fire. This study highlights the need to account for site‐specific information in models of population dynamics, including initial conditions and management history, and especially cryptic life stages such as dormant seeds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Species translocations are increasingly common in rare plant conservation. Wild populations can provide basic ecological knowledge to improve their chance of success. In the heavily fragmented Florida scrub, USA, many listed species require translocations to persist, including Dicerandra christmanii. In 1994, we began monitoring the only protected population of D. christmanii growing both in gaps (open areas) within the shrub matrix and on roadsides. In 2010, we augmented this population by adding plants and seeds to unoccupied gaps. In 2012, we introduced plants to a separate protected site to create a new population. We evaluated early translocation success using generalized linear mixed‐effect models of vital rate variation among habitat types. Survival probability increased with size, peaking at 0.6–0.8, and was lowest in augmentations and highest in introductions. Growth increased with plant size across all habitat types, except for the largest adults which experienced senescence. Naturally recruited plants in gaps showed the highest reproduction probability and fecundity at smaller sizes, but larger plants in translocations had the highest fecundity. Yearling recruitment was higher in translocated plants relative to naturally recruited plants in gaps during the initial years following outplanting. Experimental components of translocations also affected outplanting performance with positive effects of fire. These analyses suggest a high potential for translocations to become established and contribute to species recovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Leukemia is a blood cancer originating in the blood and bone marrow. Therapy-related leukemia is associated with prior chemotherapy. Although cancer therapy with DNA topoisomerase II inhibitors is one of the most effective cancer treatments, its side effects include development of secondary leukemia characterized by the chromosomal rearrangements affecting AML1 or MLL genes. Recurrent chromosomal translocations in the therapy-related leukemia differ from chromosomal rearrangements associated with other neoplasias. Here, we reviewed the factors that drive chromosomal translocations induced by cancer treatment with DNA topoisomerase II inhibitors, such as mobility of ends of double-strand DNA breaks formed before the translocation and gain of function of fusion proteins generated as a result of translocation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Non-native salmonids are protected in the Southern hemisphere where they sustain aquaculture and lucrative sport fisheries, but also impact many native fishes, which poses a conservation conundrum. Legal protection and human-assisted secondary releases may have helped salmonids to spread, but this has seldom been tested. We reconstructed the introduction of brown trout (Salmo trutta) to the Falkland Islands using historical records and modelled its dispersal and probability of invasion using a generalized linear model and Leave One out Cross Validation. Our results indicate that establishment success was ~ 88%, and that dispersal was facilitated over land by proximity to invaded sites and density of stream-road crossings, suggesting it was human assisted. Brown trout have already invaded 54% of Falkland rivers, which are 2.9–4.5 times less likely to contain native galaxiids than uninvaded streams. Without strong containment we predict brown trout will invade nearly all suitable freshwater habitats in the Falklands within the next ~ 70 years, which might put native freshwater fishes at a high risk of extinction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In South Africa, cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus) occur as a relictual, unmanaged population of 'free‐roamers', a managed metapopulation across fenced reserves, and in various captive facilities. To ensure that the Cheetah Metapopulation Project (CMP) is not at risk of losing overall genetic variation to drift or inbreeding, we propose various interventions, including exchanges between free‐roamers and the metapopulation or supplementation with unrelated individuals from captivity. Simulated trajectories of genetic diversity under such intervention strategies over time could directly inform conservation action and policy towards securing the long‐term genetic integrity of the CMP. Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) were genotyped for 172 adult cheetahs across the free‐roamer population, the metapopulation, and three major captive facilities. Management intervention trajectory models were tested including, (1) no intervention, (2) genetic exchange between free‐roamers and the metapopulation, (3) translocation from a single captive facility and (4) translocation from several captive facilities into the metapopulation. Discriminant Analysis of Principal Components (DAPC) showed that two captive populations are highly differentiated from the metapopulation and each other, whilst the third captive and free‐roamer populations are genetically more similar to the metapopulation. Simulated genetic variation over 25 generations indicated that models 1 and 2 show significant losses of heterozygosity due to genetic drift and present a proportional increase in the frequencies of 1st‐ and 2nd‐degree relatives, whilst this variation and pairwise relatedness remain relatively constant under models 3 and 4. We emphasise the potential importance of captive facilities as reservoirs of genetic diversity in metapopulation management and threatened species recovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of People & Nature is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Translocations are an important conservation tool that enable the restoration of species and their ecological functions. They are particularly important during the current environmental crisis. We used a combination of text‐analysis tools to track the history and evolution of the peer‐reviewed scientific literature on animal translocation science. We compared this corpus with research showcased in the IUCNs Global Conservation Translocation Perspectives, a curated collection of non‐peer‐reviewed reintroduction case studies. We show that the peer‐reviewed literature, in its infancy, was dominated by charismatic species. It then grew in two classical threads: management of the species of concern and management of the environment of the species. The peer‐reviewed literature exhibits a bias towards large charismatic mammals, and while these data are invaluable, expansion to under‐represented groups such as insects and reptiles will be critical to combating biodiversity loss across taxonomic groups. These biases were similar in the Translocation Perspectives, but with some subtle differences. To ensure translocation science can address global issues, we need to overcome barriers that restrict this research to a limited number of countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The results of cytogenetic analysis using mainly three-color FISH staining of peripheral blood lymphocyte chromosomes in a single patient exposed to irradiation as a result of the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in a dose initially estimated from the frequency of dicentrics (3.2 Gy) are presented. The material was obtained in a total time interval of 9053–12 554 days (24.8–34.4 years) after the radiation effect. Not always together, the sets of DNA probes to {1, 4, 12} and {2, 3, 8} pairs of chromosomes were used at all times. For the entire period of observation, the genomic frequency of translocations (a total of complete and incomplete) did not change statistically significantly. The retrospective dose estimations were made using previously obtained in vitro dose–effect dependences and ranged from 1.98 to 2.44 Gy and from 2.14 to 2.67 Gy when analyzing the metaphases of all cells and only stable cells, respectively. The problem of accounting for clonal cells with chromosome translocations is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Common species play a disproportionate role in shaping ecosystem structure and function, but are currently under‐represented in conservation translocation initiatives. This represents a missed opportunity because common species are typically easier to source for restoration projects, and larger numbers of common species can feasibly be translocated without substantially impacting source populations. Reintroduction of common species is an important first step in the faunal restoration of severely impacted habitats, such as urban spaces. Common species typically retain higher genetic diversity than threatened species, but this also means that they may have more to lose via population bottlenecks that can occur from translocation. To inform efforts to translocate common species, we assessed genetic impacts of a reintroduction of the common native bush rat Rattus fuscipes to an urban reserve at North Head, Sydney (Australia). Using single‐nucleotide polymorphism diversity, we found that differentiation between source populations was low. Nevertheless, admixture during reintroduction and follow‐up translocations initially increased standardized observed heterozygosity of North Head‐born bush rats and population NE, with a subtle corresponding decrease in within‐population kinship. For 3 years following the last translocation, we detected a small decline in genetic diversity in the North Head population, although final statistics remained similar to the source populations. Our results indicate that no short‐term interventions are necessary to further promote bush rat genetic diversity at North Head, but that continued genetic monitoring will be important to determine whether a trend in declining diversity continues as the population stabilizes. We conclude that translocation of a large number of individuals from multiple sources presents a suitable option for restoring an extirpated small mammal population whilst minimizing genetic effects typically associated with such management actions. Common species present viable candidates for translocations aiming to return biodiversity to disturbed or fragmented urban ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reintroductions may mitigate the effects of severe amphibian declines, but chytridiomycosis—the often‐deadly disease caused by the fungal pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd)—can hinder these efforts. Exposing amphibians to the pathogen ex situ may improve disease outcomes post‐release. We experimentally inoculated federally threatened California red‐legged frogs (Rana draytonii) ex situ, cleared Bd infections, and then released them to the wild for monitoring in an area where Bd is present. Ex situ, previously exposed frogs had lower Bd loads than previously uninfected frogs, and all exposure groups, including previously uninfected frogs, naturally reduced their Bd loads in two independent experiments. After release to the wild, we observed no differences in field‐contracted Bd infection among exposure groups. Treating post‐metamorphic R. draytonii ex situ may not confer additional post‐release benefit to this species in terms of chytridiomycosis burden. Our results, however, do not necessarily mirror Bd susceptibility throughout the amphibian life cycle, with other source populations that may have different Bd infection histories, or responses to different Bd strains. These results provide a clearer understanding of post‐release disease responses of a threatened, Bd‐susceptible species with prior pathogen exposure. Following ex situ experiments with in situ applications can provide a more comprehensive understanding of threat outcomes for declining species in reintroduction programs and strengthen critical links between ex situ and in situ conservation partners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Cytogenetic assessment is an essential test in patients with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia (ALL), as it is required for diagnosis, treatment and to know the prognosis. Although these tests are done as standard of care in most of the institutes, there are limited publications from India describing karyotypic abnormalities in ALL patients. Aim: To assess the various cytogenetic abnormalities encountered in patients suffering from ALL and to know the pattern of chromosomal abnormalities. Materials and Methods: The present study was a retrospective cross-sectional study done at a tertiary care teaching hospital in Karnataka, India. Patients who were diagnosed with ALL based on flow cytometry between January 2017 and June 2021 were included in the present study and total 61 patients were evaluated for the cytogenetic findings. The medical records of these 61 patients were reviewed to collect their details like age, sex, immunophenotype and cytogenetic findings. Results: During flow cytometry analysis, side scatter vs CD45 expression strategy was applied. Events with low side scatter and dim CD45 expression (blast gate) were gated. Leukaemias expressing precursor markers (CD34/HLA-DR) along with cytoplasmic/surface CD3 were diagnosed as T-ALL. Leukaemias with precursor markers along with any two out of three B-cell markers i.e CD19, CD79a or CD10 were diagnosed as B-ALL. In this study 13 patients out of 35 had normal karyotype and this was the most common cytogenetic finding. The most common cytogenetic abnormality in B-ALL patients was hypodiploidy, but t(9;22) (q34;q11.2) was the most common cytogenetic abnormality in adult patients with B-ALL. Among the patients with T-ALL, only 2 (15.38%) patients had chromosomal abnormalities. Conclusion: The present study highlights the role of cytogenetics in patients undergoing treatment for ALL. Chromosomal abnormalities like t(9;12) (q13;p11.2), t(X;1) (q13;p36.1) and t(9;15) (p13;q11.2) are novel chromosomal abnormalities which were found in the present study. Long-term follow-up is necessary to identify prognostic implications of such chromosomal abnormalities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to translocation heterozygosity for all chromosomes in the cell complement, the oyster plant (Tradescantia spathacea) forms a complete meiotic ring. It also shows Rabl-arrangement at interphase, featured by polar centromere clustering. We demonstrate that the pericentromeric regions of the oyster plant are homogenized in concert by three subtelomeric sequences: 45S rDNA, (TTTAGGG)n motif, and TSrepI repeat. The Rabl-based clustering of pericentromeric regions may have been an excellent device to combine the subtelomere-pericentromere sequence migration (via inversions) with the pericentromere-pericentromere DNA movement (via whole arm translocations) that altogether led to the concerted homogenization of all the pericentromeric domains by the subtelomeric sequences. We also show that the repetitive sequence landscape of interstitial chromosome regions contains many loci consisting of Arabidopsis-type telomeric sequence or of TSrepI repeat, and it is extensively heterozygous. However, the sequence arrangement on some chromosomal arms suggest segmental inversions that are fully or partially homozygous, a fact that could be explained if the inversions started to create linkages already in a bivalent-forming ancestor. Remarkably, the subterminal TSrepI loci reside exclusively on the longer arms that could be due to sharing sequences between similarly-sized chromosomal arms in the interphase nucleus. Altogether, our study spotlights the supergene system of the oyster plant as an excellent model to link complex chromosome rearrangements, evolution of repetitive sequences, and nuclear architecture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biological organisms are increasingly being introduced and eradicated in an effort to maintain biodiversity and ecosystem function in the face of anthropogenic threats. However, these conservation actions can have unintended consequences to non‐target species. Careful vetting of these actions using ecological modelling tools could help predict and avoid unintended consequences.Qualitative modelling tools, such as fuzzy interaction webs (FIWs), allow for qualitative rankings of community properties (e.g. interaction strength = high, medium, low) in combination with quantitative information to predict management outcomes. These tools have lower data requirements than strictly quantitative models, facilitating their use for communities lacking comprehensive parameterization. However, no studies have evaluated the efficacy of FIWs for predicting unintended consequences against empirically documented outcomes. Moreover, there is no process for systematically identifying which species to incorporate in community‐level conservation assessments to overcome model structure uncertainty. Finally, there is a need to make qualitative modelling tools more accessible for conservation practitioners.We applied FIWs to the case study of lake trout introduction into Yellowstone Lake, Yellowstone National Park, to assess its ability to predict documented community‐level outcomes from an intentional species introduction. Next, we used the case study of the intentional red squirrel introduction to Newfoundland to show how a community assessment framework can help define the community interaction web needed for applying a FIW. Lastly, we introduced a user‐friendly web interface (https://matrix.mpgranch.com/#/) for applying FIWs to conservation questions.We found that the FIW predicted previously documented directional changes in the abundance of community components relatively well in the Yellowstone Lake case study, even with minimal knowledge of the system. The community assessment framework provided a formal process for identifying community components for the Newfoundland case study, and the resulting FIW predicted documented unintended consequences. The user interface predicts realistic outcomes in our study system and allows managers to build and apply FIWs for conservation planning.Synthesis and applications. Our community assessment framework and user interface can be used to apply FIWs to identify and avert potential unintended outcomes of species introductions and eradications for improved conservation management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

De novo AMLs with typical nonrandom chromosomal abnormalities are often associated with specific morphology subtypes. The t(8;21) is one of the most prominent recurrent cytogenetic aberrations (RCA) in AML, frequently associated with AML with maturation, and is characterized as a good prognostic marker. On the contrary, BCR::ABL1 rearrangement is rarely observed in AMLs, without specific morphology, carrying poor prognosis. Its distinction from blastic transformation of chronic myeloid leukemia has been a matter of long debate. The revised WHO classification (2016) recognized AML with BCR::ABL1+ as a provisional entity. The occurrence of additional cytogenetic aberrations in AML RCA within the same leukemic clone has been detected, albeit rare cases of BCR::ABL1+ were reported, mainly as subclones. Those additional cytogenetic and molecular findings seem to significantly affect patient prognosis. Conventional cytogenetic analysis, fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH), and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) were applied at presentation and during the follow-up of the patient. We present a 34-year-old male patient with de novo AML harboring concomitant t(8;21) and t(9;22) in a single clone. The presence of both t(8;21) and Philadelphia chromosome (Ph+) in the same metaphases but in less than 100% of the analyzed cells, the p190 BCR::ABL transcript type, and absence of splenomegaly support that additional BCR::ABL1+ is a part of the main leukemic clone. These findings, accompanied with an encouraging outcome of continuous cytogenetic and molecular remission after induction therapy, support BCR::ABL1 being a secondary genetic event in AML with t(8;21). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Incorporating genetic data into conservation programmes improves management outcomes, but the impact of different sample grouping methods on genetic diversity analyses is poorly understood. To this end, the multi‐source reintroduction of the eastern bettong Bettongia gaimardi was used as a long‐term case study to investigate how sampling regimes may affect common genetic metrics and hence management decisions. The dataset comprised 5307 SNPs sequenced across 263 individuals. Samples included 45 founders from five genetically distinct Tasmanian source regions, and 218 of their descendants captured during annual monitoring at Mulligan's Flat Woodland Sanctuary (121 samples across eight generations) and Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve (97 samples across nine generations). The most management‐informative sampling regime was found to be generational cohorts, providing detailed long‐term trends in genetic diversity. When these generation‐specific trends were not investigated, recent changes in population genetics were masked, and it became apparent that management recommendations would be less appropriate. The results also illuminated the importance of considering establishment and persistence as separate phases of a multi‐source reintroduction. The establishment phase (useful for informing early adaptive management) should consist of no less than two generations and continue until admixture is achieved (admixture defined here as >80% of individuals possessing >60% of source genotypes, with no one source composing >70% of >20% individuals' genotype) is achieved. This ensures that the persistence phase analyses of population trends remain minimally biased. Based on this case study, we recommend that emphasis be given to the value of generationally specific analyses, and that conservation programmes collect DNA samples throughout the establishment and persistence phases and avoid collecting genetic samples only when the analysis is imminent. We also recommend that population genetic analyses for multi‐source reintroductions consider whether admixture has been achieved when calculating descriptive genetic metrics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hog deer were introduced to Australia in the 1860s, where they have spread across the Gippsland region of Victoria. Due to its status as an introduced species and an important game animal within Victoria, management of the species is complex. Given this complexity, genetic studies can provide important information regarding population structure and diversity which can assist in controlling problematic populations of hog deer, while also ensuring viable game stock in sites managed as game reserves. The aim of this study was to investigate the population genetic structure and diversity of the Victorian hog deer 150 years after introduction using short tandem repeats (STRs). Hog deer samples were collected across 15 sites of differing management regimes in the Gippsland region of Victoria and genotyped for 13 polymorphic STR loci. Up to four distinct genetic clusters were identified across the sites sampled, suggesting that despite low observed genetic diversity, population structure is present across their range. It was also possible to detect evidence of recent translocations among populations. This study suggests that the presence of distinct genetic clusters may enable management of separate genetic units, considering invasive species and game management objectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) hold great potential for regenerative medicine. By reprogramming a patient′s own cells, immunological rejection can be avoided during transplantation. For expansion and gene editing, iPSCs are grown in artificial culture for extended times. Culture affords potential danger for the accumulation of genetic aberrations. To study these, two induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cell lines were cultured and periodically analyzed using advanced optical mapping to detect and classify chromosome numerical and segmental changes that included deletions, insertions, balanced translocations and inversions. In one of the lines, a population trisomic for chromosome 12 gained dominance over a small number of passages. This appearance and dominance of the culture by chromosome 12 trisomic cells was tracked through intermediate passages by the analysis of chromosome spreads. Mathematical modeling suggested that the proliferation rates of diploid versus trisomic cells could not account for the rapid dominance of the trisomic population. In addition, optical mapping revealed hundreds of structural variations distinct from those generally found within the human population. Many of these structural variants were detected in samples obtained early in the culturing process and were maintained in late passage samples, while others were acquired over the course of culturing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The figure of 70% includes the 41% of listed or recovered species for which translocations have been performed, 16% for which translocations are planned, and 12% for which possible future translocations are implied by existing or planned captive propagation. Keywords: assisted migration; benefits; biodiversity; conservation; impacts; reintroductions; restoration; risks; translocations EN assisted migration benefits biodiversity conservation impacts reintroductions restoration risks translocations 1 5 5 07/05/22 20220701 NES 220701 When deciding whether to translocate a species, it is important to know likely benefits and risks. Their conclusions about the overwhelming success of translocations ("Translocations have played and will play a vital and necessary role in conserving 70% of US endangered species", "conservation translocations routinely yielded their intended benefits") are not supported by their data. [Extracted from the article]

Simple Summary: In the early sixties, free ranging red deer (Cervus elaphus, L.) were absent in Piedmont. Human-driven translocations and spontaneous migration of red deer from Switzerland and France resulted in the successful redistribution of this wild ungulate. In parallel, host-specific parasites harbored by red deer populations disappeared in the same area until the restoration of red deer in north-western Italy. The parasitic community has been enriched with at least two species-specific taxa, Onchocerca jakutensis and Pharyngomyia picta, suggesting that the recovery of parasitic biodiversity could be included amongst future conservation goals of this intensively managed game. Red deer (Cervus elaphus) populations in north-western Italy have been remodeled in recent decades. Multiple translocations and the spontaneous migration from Switzerland and France resulted in the successful redistribution of the red deer after human-driven extirpation during the 18th century. The scarcely diverse parasitic community harbored by these cervids has been enriched with two species-specific taxa, Onchocerca jakutensis and Phayigomyia picta, suggesting that the recovery of parasitic biodiversity could be included amongst future conservation goals of this intensively managed game. Nodular onchocercosis was reported in three red deer populations since 2011, while nasal bots were reported since 2018. Hypoderma spp. larvae were identified for the first time in 1989, then a second record was made in 2014 in the province of Biella, where a yearling male in poor condition infested with Hypoderma diana was observed. In the perspective that the restoration of species-specific parasite communities of native mammals in Europe is increasingly perceived as a conservation target, with similar dignity as the conservation of their hosts, baseline data presented in this communication may give new insights for future parasite conservation efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Translocations or other movements of wildlife sometimes accomplish their intended objectives, but unforeseen consequences may arise and disrupt locally adapted ecological communities, restructure or dilute genetic integrity of populations or subspecies of the moved organism, and otherwise negatively influences a species' long‐term fitness. Two historical populations of Mottled Ducks (Anas fulvigula) exist and are endemic to (1) Mexico and the West‐Gulf Coast (A. f. maculosa) regions of the United States and (2) Florida (A. f. fulvigula). From 1975 to 1983, 1285 Mottled Ducks from Florida, Louisiana, and Texas were released to coastal South Carolina, primarily to ultimately establish a legally harvestable population. This movement stirred mixed reactions amid the conservation community. Contemporary information suggests an increasing Mottled Duck population in South Carolina and possibly dispersing into Georgia. Herein, I objectively discuss the potential consequences of this new population per the birds' evolution, ecology, and management. Ultimately, I suggest that this translocation is a long‐term benefit to the species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Tellus is the property of Revista Tellus and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Population reinforcement, through translocations of individuals, aims to restore populations of threatened species. The increase in population size or geographic distribution is often used as positive facts when assessing the recovery of a species, making abundance monitoring a major criterion. Based on 8‐year monitoring of a reinforced population of North African Houbara bustard (Chlamydotis undulata undulata), over an area of 50 170 km² in the eastern region of Morocco, we assessed the success of management actions by assessing spatial and temporal variation in abundance as well as the factors driving this variation. We used count data to estimate and spatialize population abundance. We then assessed environmental (climate) and management covariates (release effort and hunting management) associated with temporal and spatial variation in abundance. The overall estimate of abundance in the study area was 16 918 individuals (95% CI = 13 629–21 027) over our study period, with strong variation between years (range = 10 409–32 401). Our results highlighted strong spatial heterogeneity over the study area, linked to spatial variation in local climate and management conditions. Local abundances were negatively associated with local temperature, were higher in hunting than in non‐hunting areas, and were positively influenced by the number of birds released around the focal point. In addition to describing the spatio‐temporal variation in the abundance of the species on a large scale, we estimated two major proxies of its conservation status: population size and population trend. The determination of these proxies and the comparison with the counterfactual state of the species confirms the beneficial impact of the restoration and protection program on the dynamics of the North African Houbara bustard, while underlining the dependence of these dynamics on ongoing management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reintroductions are becoming a popular tool to prevent extinctions, although their overall success rate is low. Assessing the efficiency and cost‐effectiveness of different reintroduction strategies may help identify and promote efficient practices. Captive‐breeding is widely used in animal reintroductions, although concerns have been raised about relatively high failure rates and economic costs. Here, we compared the effectiveness of two simultaneously used strategies in the reintroduction of the Bonelli's eagle on the island of Mallorca: The release of captive‐bred chicks and wild‐reared, translocated non‐juveniles. To do so, we estimated the main vital rates for individuals released by both strategies and used these to perform population simulations to assess their overall performances. The use of wild‐reared non‐juveniles showed a trend with higher numbers of breeding pairs 10 years after the end of releases (14.75 pairs, 95% CI 4–25 vs. 11.21 pairs, 95% CI 2–24) and was the only strategy that prevented extinction in the long term. Following that, based on cost estimations of every strategy and different reintroduction budgets, we assessed the cost‐effectiveness of releasing wild‐reared non‐juveniles compared with two captive‐breeding alternatives: Releasing chicks either originally from breeding programmes or extracted from nests in natural populations. Again, releasing wild‐reared non‐juveniles was the only strategy that prevented long‐term extinction in all economic scenarios (i.e. low‐budget scenario 21.49 pairs, 95% CI 2–25). The use of chicks sourced from captive‐breeding programmes did not guarantee long‐term persistence even in high‐budget scenarios (14.50 pairs, 95% CI 0–25). Releasing wild‐reared non‐juveniles boosts early recruitment to the breeding population and early reproduction, which can be key for reintroduction success. However, in some scenarios, post‐release effects can be stronger in wild‐reared individuals, especially because of high translocation stress and post‐release dispersal. Hence, we recommend undertaking careful evaluation of the pros and cons of every strategy and embracing adaptive management to choose best strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A variety of conservation management strategies have been developed to address rapid, anthropogenically-driven biodiversity loss. The translocation of individuals from viable populations to those experiencing significant decline is one such strategy to increase genetic diversity and avoid extirpation, yet efficacy of this strategy has rarely been examined in detail utilizing genomic data. Here, we employ a conservation icon, the greater prairie-chicken (Tympanuchus cupido pinnatus), as a case study to demonstrate how genome-wide SNPs derived from RADseq offer the ability to assess translocation success with respect to the genomic aspects of genetic restoration, encompassing (1) the alleviation of inbreeding (2) the restoration of evolutionary potential, and (3) the maintenance of local variation. Genome-wide diversity estimates calculated from 356,778 SNPs demonstrate that translocations rescued the Illinois population from severe inbreeding and lack of genetic diversity, restoring variation to levels comparable to the three non-bottlenecked source populations. Delineation of genetic structure using non-linked and ubiquitously genotyped SNPs reveal distinct genetic variation among the source and recipient populations as well as high levels of admixture in the post-translocation population resulting from translocations. Estimated ancestry derived from private alleles uncover introgression of unique variation from each source population as well as the maintenance of substantial levels of variation unique to Illinois. Our findings demonstrate that genome-wide analysis of variation is a valuable management tool for measuring the genomic effects of translocations and, subsequently, gauging genetic restoration success. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Maintaining animal populations in captivity can be a useful way to conserve species, especially those that are extinct in the wild or endangered in their native habitats. These animals could be reintroduced into the wild from captivity if conditions improve. However, captive populations of endangered species are often established with few wild‐caught individuals and are maintained in novel habitats, conditions which may make these populations prone to morphological divergence. Changes in cranial morphology, in particular, may limit reintroduction success because these morphological changes may alter cranial functionality related to capturing and consuming prey. To assess whether unintentional morphological changes occur in captivity, we examined the crania and mandibles of 275 specimens of wild, captive and reintroduced Mexican wolves Canis lupus baileyi. We detected significant differences in skull size and shape among these populations. Captive specimens displayed the greatest overall shape variation and were significantly differentiated from the wild population in regions of the skull that are essential to cranial functionality. The reintroduced population displayed the narrowest trait distribution, with cranial morphology that grouped consistently with the captive morphotype. The small number of individuals of the founding population along with the increased variation in cranial morphology among captive Mexican wolves suggests that morphological changes in captivity may be related to genetic changes such as genetic drift or relaxed selection. This study helps to define the changes that may occur in captivity, the potential mechanisms behind these shifts, and the ways in which morphological variation in captive populations may impact conservation initiatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Ensete glaucum (2 n = 2 x = 18) is a giant herbaceous monocotyledonous plant in the small Musaceae family along with banana (Musa). A high-quality reference genome sequence assembly of E. glaucum is a resource for functional and evolutionary studies of Ensete , Musaceae, and the Zingiberales. Findings Using Oxford Nanopore Technologies, chromosome conformation capture (Hi-C), Illumina and RNA survey sequence, supported by molecular cytogenetics, we report a high-quality 481.5 Mb genome assembly with 9 pseudo-chromosomes and 36,836 genes. A total of 55% of the genome is composed of repetitive sequences with predominantly LTR-retroelements (37%) and DNA transposons (7%). The single 5S ribosomal DNA locus had an exceptionally long monomer length of 1,056 bp, more than twice that of the monomers at multiple loci in Musa. A tandemly repeated satellite (1.1% of the genome, with no similar sequence in Musa) was present around all centromeres, together with a few copies of a long interspersed nuclear element (LINE) retroelement. The assembly enabled us to characterize in detail the chromosomal rearrangements occurring between E. glaucum and the x = 11 species of Musa. One E. glaucum chromosome has the same gene content as Musa acuminata , while others show multiple, complex, but clearly defined evolutionary rearrangements in the change between x= 9 and 11. Conclusions The advance towards a Musaceae pangenome including E. glaucum , tolerant of extreme environments, makes a complete set of gene alleles, copy number variation, and a reference for structural variation available for crop breeding and understanding environmental responses. The chromosome-scale genome assembly shows the nature of chromosomal fusion and translocation events during speciation, and features of rapid repetitive DNA change in terms of copy number, sequence, and genomic location, critical to understanding its role in diversity and evolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: We overview an array of common garden genetics trials established across multiple sites and embedded in restoration plantings in the harsh, modified Midlands region of the island of Tasmania, Australia. The steps in establishing the common gardens, the diversity of experimental designs employed and their objectives are described. These trials provide a long‐term framework to test species choices and provenancing strategies, as well as enhance our understanding of adaptive genetic variation within key eucalypt species used for ecological restoration. Early results signal genetic‐based differences in early‐age performance, and we showcase the multiple benefits of integrating research infrastructure into restoration plantings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]