Genes of one new wolf can rescue inbred pack
Introducing one new wolf into an isolated pack can serve as a
“genetic
rescue,” improving the animals’ biological fitness and helping their
population explode, scientists have found.
A research team led by Hans Ellegren of Uppsala University in Sweden
studied the DNA of an inbred wolf pack founded by a single male/female
pair. During the 1980s, the pack consisted of fewer than 10 wolves, but
their numbers exploded in 1991.
That’s when a single immigrant wolf arrived and mated successfully
into the group, the scientists reported recently in Proceedings of the
Royal Society: Biological Sciences.
Even rare intermixtures like this could be key for conserving
endangered species, the researchers say.
Alexandra Witze