Rare wolf species at risk
Image: Gert Vankrunkelsven
Ethopian wolves are 'genetically vulnerable' Research from a 12 year study into Ethiopian wolves, Africa's only wolf species and the rarest dog in the world, has shown that there is little gene flow between the small remaining populations, placing the wolves at greater risk of extinction.
In a study published in the journal Animal Conservation, Dada Gotelli of the Zoological Society of London, and colleagues from Oxford and Berlin, have quantified the genetic diversity, population structure and patterns of gene flow among 72 wild-living Ethiopian wolves from six of the remaining seven populations.
The study indicates that genetic diversity was relatively high for a species that has declined to fewer than 500 individuals, but there is a weak gene flow between the different groups which renders the wolves increasingly vulnerable, as they may not have the genetic diversity needed to fight off disease or adapt to new habitats.
Limited migration also increases the risk of inbreeding, and scientists are now suggesting ways to reconnect the isolated populations, saying: "It may be necessary in the near future to artificially increase population size and restore gene flow between nearby populations."
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