Evolutionary perspectives in conservation genetics

doi:10.1017/CBO9780511980381.005

2 - Evolutionary perspectives in conservation genetics

from Part I - Evolution, Ecology and Conservation

Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 April 2012

Kamal M. Ibrahim and

Roberta Torunsky

Edited by

Aldo Poiani

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Aldo Poiani: Affiliation:
Monash University, Victoria

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Summary

The world is currently experiencing loss of biodiversity due to direct and indirect anthropogenic causes unparalleled in human history. In this chapter, we expound on the importance of evolutionary thinking in our efforts to mitigate this loss. In Otto Frankel's (1974) words, ‘reinforcing the grounds for nature conservation with an evolutionary perspective may help to give conservation a permanence which a utilitarian, and even an ecological grounding, fails to provide in men's minds'. A simple argument-from-definition could be presented to justify this presumption: evolution is defined as change in the frequencies of genes and gene variants over space and time; population genetics deals with the intraspecific component of this dynamic; conservation genetics is applied population genetics, hence the direct link between evolution and conservation genetics. We aim to put forth a more synthetic justification based on the analysis of empirical studies that link evolutionary processes with conservation objectives.

Historical prelude

A number of recent reviews (Avise, 2010; Frankham, 2010) and books (Allendorf and Luikart, 2007; Avise, 2008) have documented historical developments in conservation biology that led to the emergence of the relatively young subdiscipline of conservation genetics. Awareness of the importance of conserving heritable variation dates back to Charles Darwin's days (Darwin, 1876). The 1960s and 1970s heralded molecular techniques that enabled quantifying heritable variation in natural populations (Hillis et al., 1996). In 1970 and 1974, building on these technological developments, but more significantly concerned over the vanishing genetic diversity of crop plants as a result of monoculture and the introduction of input-needy high-yielding crops in areas of genetic diversity, Otto Frankel published seminal papers on the urgent need to conserve genetic diversity. This led to changes in awareness not only among the scientific community, but also among the general public, particularly among conservation oriented non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and other civic groups (Mooney, 1996). A meeting of ecologists and evolutionary geneticists was held in 1978 aimed at integrating their respective approaches to mitigating the problem of extinction (Allendorf and Luikart, 2007) and acknowledging that conserving genetic diversity plays a significant role in this. The subsequent publication of Frankel and Soulé's book Conservation and Evolution in 1981 and the launch of the journal Conservation Genetics in 2000 represent significant milestones. The first dedicated conservation genetics textbook by Frankham was published in 2002 (Frankham et al., 2002).

Type: Chapter
Information: Pragmatic Evolution
Applications of Evolutionary Theory
, pp. 37 - 50

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511980381.005 [Opens in a new window]

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Print publication year: 2011

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