[ExpertScie]

[quote='Charles' pid='2706' dateline='1357617134']
A study on how the scientists are trying to preserve species by altering their Genetic Structure.

In the Mojave Desert in the U.S. state of Nevada, a few hundred meters above the famous Valley of Death, in a small underwater, probably the most endangered species of fish in the world has found its home. It is a silver-blue fish smaller than your smallest finger which came after millions of years of evolution to the nature...................

Dear Charles,

I always love to read on topics related to "preservation of endangered species". Endangered species is one of my favorite topic. Your article is really interesting and it gives valuable information on "how
genetic alteration can lead to survival of species".........
I appreciate and thank you for starting a post on this interesting topic.


Another such method of preserving the endangered species is Captive breeding. It is a process of breeding animals in human controlled environments with restricted settings including restricted entries. These controlled environments are either wildlife reserves, zoos or other suitable facilities which can positively help in conservation. No-doubt, such program helps in successful preservation of many endangered species. Few living examples include successful breeding of cheetahs in which the survival from 1 to 12 months and greater than 12 months of age was 72 and 67 % respectively. This program was established between the de Wildt Cheetah and Wildlife centre in which 242 litters were born with a total of around 780 cubs.
Another successful example is of wild Tasmanian devils breeding. As there is no wild Tasmanian devils female left their survival relied solely on captive breeding and its new generations.
Though captive breeding is continuously adding new names to its success list, but at the same time, it has some limitations/drawbacks.
With captive breeding, genetic diversity is reduced and is obvious due to limited gene pool. But this is a good strategy to save animals rather than completely going their number down to zero. Another drawback is that it also reduces species fitness (Due to weak immune system and declining wild type characteristics).
In spite of these drawbacks, today captive breeding is a great program which is helping in preservation of many endangered species, without which, today we would have missed many species from our planet, forever!
I believe, today we would have seen living dinosaurs, if programs like captive breeding or similar such other would have been there during either Triassic, Jurassic or Cretaceous period !

Thanks you Charles for starting such interesting post !