Abstract
Hybridization between introduced and endemic ungulates, resulting from anthropogenic actions, has been reported for several species. Several studies of such events contain the common themes of extralimital movements, problematic phenotypic and genetic detection, and imperfect management. In southern Africa, the endemic black wildebeest (Connochaetes gnou) currently faces a serious threat of hybridization and introgression. This species survived near extinction and consequent genetic bottlenecks in the late 1800s and in the 1930s. Initiatives by private farmers followed by conservation authorities led to a dramatic recovery in numbers of this species. However, in an ironic twist, the very same advances in conservation and commercial utilisation which led to the recovery of numbers are now themselves threatening the species. Injudicious translocation has brought the species into contact with its congener, the blue wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus), and in recent times, hybridization between the species has occurred at numerous localities in South Africa. Consequently, a significant proportion of the national black wildebeest population potentially carries a proportion of introgressed blue wildebeest genetic material. We discuss completed and ongoing attempts to find molecular markers to detect hybrids and highlight the difficulty of detecting advanced backcrosses. Additional avenues of research, such as work on morphology (cranial and postcranial elements), estimating of the probability of introgression and modelling of diffusion rates are also introduced. In addition to the difficulty in detecting hybrid animals or herds, the lack of consensus on the fate of hybrid herds is discussed. Finally, in an environment of imperfect information, we caution against implementation of management responses that will potentially induce a new genetic bottleneck in C. gnou.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Abernethy K (1994) The establishment of a hybrid zone between red and sika deer (genus Cervus). Mol Ecol 3:551–562
Ackermann RR, Brink JS, Vrahimis S, De Klerk B (2010) Hybrid wildebeest (Artiodactyla: Bovidae) provide further evidence for shared signatures of admixture in mammalian crania. SA J Sci 106:1–5
Anderson EC, Dunham KK (2005) Spip 1.0: a program for simulating pedigrees and genetic data in age-structured populations. Mol Ecol Notes 5:459–461
Anderson EC, Thompson EA (2002) A model-based method for identifying species hybrids using multilocus genetic data. Genetics 160:1217–1229
Boecklen WJ, Howard DJ (1997) Genetic analysis of hybrid zones: numbers of markers and power of resolution. Ecology 78:2611–2616
Brink JS (1993) Postcranial evidence for the evolution of the black wildebeest, Connochaetes gnou: an exploratory study. Palaeontol Afr 30:61–69
Brink JS (2005) The evolution of the black wildebeest (Connochaetes gnou) and modern large mammal faunas of central southern Africa. Ph.D. dissertation, University of Stellenbosch
Brink JS, Berger LR, Churchill SE (1999) Mammalian fossils from erosional gullies (dongas) in the Doring River drainage. Central Free State Province, South Africa. In: Becker C, Manhart H, Peters J, Schibler J (eds) Historiumanimalium ex ossibus. BeiträgezurPaläoanatomie, Archäologie, Ägyptologie, Ethnologie und Geschichte der Tiermedizin: Festschrift für Angela von den Driesch. Verlag Marie Leidorf GmbH, Rahden/Westf, pp 79–90
Brooke RK, Lloyd RH, De Villiers AL (1986) Alien and translocated terrestrial vertebrates in South Africa. In: Macdonald IAW, Kruger FJ, Ferrar AA (eds) The ecology and management of biological invasions in southern Africa. Oxford University Press, Capetown, pp 63–74
Buckland RA, Evans HJ (1978) Cytogenetic aspects of phylogeny in the Bovidae: I. G-banding. Cytogenet Cell Genet 21:42–63
Coates BS, Sumerford DV, Miller NJ, Kim KS, Sappington TW, Siegfried BD, Lewis LC (2009) Comparative performance of single nucleotide polymorphism and microsatellite markers for population genetic analysis. J Hered 100:556–564
Codron D, Brink JS (2007) Trophic ecology of two savanna grazers, blue wildebeest Connochaetes taurinus and black wildebeest Connochaetes gnou. Eur J Wildl Res 53:90–99
Corbet SW, Robinson TJ (1991) Genetic divergence in South African wildebeest: comparative cytogenetics and analysis of mitochondrial DNA. J Hered 82:447–452
Corbet SW, Grant WS, Robinson TJ (1994) Genetic divergence in South African wildebeest: analysis of allozyme variability. J Hered 85:479–483
Cordingley JE, Sundaresan SR, Fischhoff IR, Shapiro B, Ruskey J, Rubenstein DI (2009) Is the endangered grevy’s zebra threatened by hybridization? Anim Conserv 12:505–513
De Klerk B (2007). An osteological documentation of hybrid wildebeest and its bearing on black wildebeest (Connochaetes gnou) evolution. M.Sc. thesis, University of the Witwatersrand
East R (1999) African antelope database 1999. IUCN, Cambridge, UK
Fabricius C, Lowry D, Van den Berg P (1988) Fecund black wildebeest × blue wildebeest hybrids. SA J Wild Res 18:35–37
Glover KA, Hansen MM, Lien S, Als TD, Høyheim B, Skaala O (2010) A comparison of SNP and STR loci for delineating population structure and performing individual genetic assignment. BMC Genet 11:2
Goodman SJ, Barton NH, Swanson G, Abernethy K, Pemberton JM (1999) Introgression through rare hybridization: a genetic study of a hybrid zone between red and sika deer (genus Cervus) in Argyll, Scotland. Genetics 152:355–371
Grobler JP, Van der Bank FH (1995) Allozyme divergence between four representatives of the sub-family Alcelaphinae (Family: Bovidae). Comp Biochem Physiol 112B:303–308
Grobler JP, Hartl GB, Grobler N, Kotze A, Botha K, Tiedemann R (2005) The genetic status of an isolated black wildebeest (Connochaetesgnou) population from the Abe Bailey Nature Reserve, South Africa: Microsatellite data on a putative past hybridization with blue wildebeest (C. taurinus). Mamm Biol 70:35–45
Haasl RJ, Payseur BA (2011) Multi-locus inference of population structure: a comparison between single nucleotide polymorphisms and microsatellites. Heredity 106:158–171
Hedrick PW (2009) Conservation genetics and the North American bison (Bison bison). J Hered 100:411–420
Holt WG, Pickard AR (1999) Role of reproductive technologies and genetic resource banks in animal conservation. Rev Reprod 4:143–150
IUCN (2008) IUCN SSC antelope specialist group 2008. Connochaetesgnou. In: IUCN 2010. IUCN red list of threatened species. IUCN. http://www.iucnredlist.org
Kirkman AHB (1938) Conservation notes. Connochaetesgnou. J Soc Pres Fauna Emp 35:50
Manel S, Gaggiotti OE, Waples RS (2005) Assignment methods: matching biological questions with appropriate techniques. TREE 20:136–142
McDevitt AD, Edwards CJ, O'Toole P, O'Sullivan P, O'Reilly C, Carden RF. (2009) Genetic structure of, and hybridisation between, red (Cervus elaphus) and sika (Cervus nippon) deer in Ireland Mammalian Biology 74: 263–273
McGranahan DA (2008) Managing private, commercial rangelands for agricultural production and wildlife diversity in Namibia and Zambia. Biodivers Conserv 17:1965–1977
Perez-Espona S, Pemberton JM, Putman R. (2009) Red and sika deer in the British Isles, current management issues and management policy. Mammalian Biology74: 247–262
Pritchard JK, Stephens M, Donnelly P (2000) Inference of population structure using multilocus genotype data. Genetics 155:945–959
Røed KH, Ernest EM, Midthjell L, Msoffe PLM (2011) Identification and characterization of 17 microsatellite loci in the blue wildebeest, Connochaetes taurinus. Conserv Genet Resour 3:181–183
Schlőtterer C (2004) The evolution of molecular markers—just a matter of fashion? Nat Rev Genet 5:63–70
Senn HV, Pemberton JM (2009) Variable extent of hybridization between invasive sika (Cervus nippon) and native red deer (C. elaphus) in a small geographical area. Molecol 18:862–876
Simberloff D (1996) Hybridization between native and introduced species: importance for conservation. Wildl Biol 2:143–150
Skinner JD, Chimimba CT (2005) The mammals of the Southern African subregion, 3rd edn. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge University Press, Cape Town
Spear D, Chown SL (2009) The extent and impacts of ungulate translocations: South Africa in a global context. Biol Conserv 142:353–363
Stokes CS (1942) Sanctuary. The Cape Times Limited, Cape Town, p 472
Vähä J-P, Primmer CR (2006) Efficiency of model-based Bayesian methods for detecting hybrid individuals under different hybridization scenarios and with different numbers of loci. Mol Ecol 15:63–72
Verklaar ELC, Vervaecke H, Roden C, Mendoza R, Barwegen MW, Susilawati T, Nijman IJ, Lenstra JA (2003) Paternally inherited markers in bovine hybrid populations. Heredity 91:565–569
Von Richter W (1971a) Connochaetes gnou. Mamm Species 50:1–6
Von Richter W (1971b) Past and present distribution of the black wildebeest, Connochaetes gnou Zimmerman (Artiodactyla: Bovidae) with special reference to the history of some herds in South Africa. Annls Transv Mus 27:35–57
Wilson GA, Strobeck C, Wu L, Coffin JW (1997) Characterization of microsatellite loci in caribou Rangifer tarandus, and their use in other Artiodactyls. Mol Ecol 6:697–699
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Communicated by C. Gortázar
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Grobler, J.P., Rushworth, I., Brink, J.S. et al. Management of hybridization in an endemic species: decision making in the face of imperfect information in the case of the black wildebeest—Connochaetes gnou . Eur J Wildl Res 57, 997–1006 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10344-011-0567-1
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10344-011-0567-1