Using molecular genetic information to guide population management can improve the sustainability of species in captivity. However, empirical population genetics has not been commonly applied to species management programs in zoos. One limitation may be the availability of genetic resources (e.g., markers, primers, etc.) for species held in zoos. To assess the extent to which species held in zoos have been studied using population genetics in the wild, we conducted a systematic literature review of close to 8,000 papers. We synthesized information on the availability and scale of population genetics studies across amphibian, bird, mammal, and reptile species held in zoos, and discussed their potential for informing ex situ management. We found that more than half of the species in zoos (52%) already have some genetic markers described in the literature specific for them, or a congeneric species, that could be further developed to aid the management of zoo populations, and the accumulation of these resources has been steady over the past decades. Furthermore, the proportion of species with genetic resources is even higher (62%) for species that are being managed through a formal breeding program in zoos. Our study provides encouraging results for captive program managers interested in integrating population genetics into ex situ management strategies.

中文翻译：

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方舟上的基因分型：动物园物种可用遗传资源的综合

使用分子遗传信息指导种群管理可以提高圈养物种的可持续性。然而，经验种群遗传学并未普遍应用于动物园的物种管理计划。一种限制可能是动物园中物种的遗传资源（例如，标记、引物等）的可用性。为了评估使用野外种群遗传学研究动物园中物种的程度，我们对近 8,000 篇论文进行了系统的文献审查。我们综合了有关动物园中两栖动物、鸟类、哺乳动物和爬行动物物种种群遗传学研究的可用性和规模的信息，并讨论了它们为异地管理提供信息的潜力。我们发现动物园中超过一半的物种 (52%) 已经有一些文献中描述的特定于它们的遗传标记，或者是同种物种，可以进一步开发这些标记以帮助管理动物园种群，以及积累这些资源在过去几十年一直稳定。此外，对于通过动物园正式育种计划进行管理的物种，拥有遗传资源的物种比例甚至更高（62%）。我们的研究为有兴趣将种群遗传学纳入非原生境管理策略的圈养项目经理提供了令人鼓舞的结果。对于通过动物园正式育种计划进行管理的物种，具有遗传资源的物种比例甚至更高（62%）。我们的研究为有兴趣将种群遗传学纳入非原生境管理策略的圈养项目经理提供了令人鼓舞的结果。对于通过动物园正式育种计划进行管理的物种，拥有遗传资源的物种比例甚至更高（62%）。我们的研究为有兴趣将种群遗传学纳入非原生境管理策略的圈养项目经理提供了令人鼓舞的结果。