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The phenotypic costs of captivity.
Ross Crates1, Dejan Stojanovic1, Robert Heinsohn1
1Fenner School of Environment and Society, Australian National University, Linnaeus Way, Acton, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia.
Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society
|November 7, 2022
Summary
Captive breeding aids threatened species conservation, but altered environments can change animals, impacting reintroduction success. Further research is needed to minimize these "phenotypic costs" for better population recovery.
Area of Science:
- Conservation Biology
- Zoology
- Ecology
Background:
- Captive breeding is crucial for preventing extinctions amid biodiversity loss.
- Captive environments impose different selection pressures than wild habitats.
- Phenotypic changes in captivity can reduce post-release survival and fitness.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore how captive environments affect wild phenotypes.
- To highlight poorly understood phenotypic differences between captive and wild animals.
- To propose research directions for improving reintroduction biology.
Main Methods:
- Literature review on captive environments and phenotypic plasticity.
- Analysis of selection pressures in captivity versus the wild.
- Identification of knowledge gaps in reintroduction biology.
Main Results:
- Captive conditions can inhibit the expression of wild-type traits.
- Significant, understudied phenotypic divergence occurs in captive-bred animals.
- Altered phenotypes pose risks to the success of conservation reintroductions.
Conclusions:
- Minimizing phenotypic costs of captivity is essential for effective reintroduction.
- Further research and adaptive management are needed to improve reintroduction outcomes.
- Monitoring and experimental reintroductions will build an evidence base for conservation strategies.
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