Bridgett vonHoldt, Associate Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University
The last known red wolves were captured in southwestern Louisiana and
eastern Texas in 1980 to establish a captive breeding population. We
discover that red wolves bred with coyotes prior to their extinction in
the wild, which transferred endangered genetics. Using genomics, we find
coyote genomes containing red wolf ancestry. Further, much of this
variation represents an ancestral pool of variation not found in the
captive breeding program. We highlight the importance of admixed genomes
as a reservoir of endangered species ancestry for innovative
conservation efforts.
The Weston Roundtable is made possible by a generous donation from
Roy F. Weston, a highly accomplished UW-Madison alumnus. Designed to
promote a robust understanding of sustainability science, engineering,
and policy, these interactive lectures are co-sponsored by the Center for Sustainability and the Global Environment (SAGE), the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, and the Office of Sustainability.