Gene pools are getting dangerously shallow for some species

Koala Conservation Australia's Wild Koala Breeding Manager, Dr Kate Farquharson has published a paper in Nature looking at patterns in genetic diversity in species worldwide.

The team of scientists found that genetic diversity is being lost globally across many species, especially birds and mammals. But it’s not all doom and gloom!

Conservation efforts that restore habitat, grow populations, and introduce new individuals for breeding are sustaining and even increasing genetic diversity in populations.

Recently, The Conversation published an article about the paper, stating:

"Before species go extinct, their populations often shrink and become isolated. Healthy populations tend to have a large gene pool with many genetic variants circulating. But the path to extinction erodes genetic diversity, because a species’ gene pool shrinks as the population declines. Losing genetic diversity limits the ability of populations to adapt to threats such as disease and climate change.

So, what is the state of genetic diversity in animals, plants, fungi and algae worldwide?" 

Read more about it here: https://theconversation.com/gene-pools-are-getting-dangerously-shallow-across-the-tree-of-life-we-found-5-ways-to-help-242708.

To read the full paper at Nature.com, follow this link.

Supporting the Koala Conservation Wild Breeding Program helps to ensure we can restore genetic diversity in declining wild koala populations to make a difference.