Research Training Program

Ryan Ojerio
Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan

Mike Braun, Ph.D.
Project Advisor
Department of Vertebrate Zoology
Division of Birds

"The work I did as part of my research project will have implications on my career choices."

Characterization of Polymorphic Genetic Markers for Measuring Genetic Diversity in Endangered Species

During the late 1800's and early 1900's Whooping Cranes (Grus american) suffered a drastic population bottleneck. Habitat destruction due to conversion of wetlands to farmland wiped out critical nesting sites and as a result their wild population fell to 14 adults in 1938 (Doughty, 1989). Intense conservation efforts in Canada and the United States have increased their numbers to approximately 150 individuals in the wild and 77 in captivity. Although their numbers are rising, the effects of inbreeding and loss of genetic diversity may threaten their continued viability (c.f. Ralls et al. 1983). A similar threat exists for all the other members of the genus Grus because all are endangered species (Doughty, 1989). To design efficient conservation programs requires that conservation biologists understand how loss of genetic diversity affects a species' gene pool. Although models exist for predicting these effects (e.g., Maruyama and Fuerst, 1985), there is a lack of experimental evidence to support them with regard to organisms with complex genomes. To further complicate the problem, traditional techniques utilizing DNA hybridization or protein analysis are insufficient to obtain the information needed to construct genealogies and measure changes in genetic diversity (Dessauer et al. 1992, Krajewski, 1990, Hughes and Queller, unpublished).

This research investigates the possibility that a new class of highly polymorphic markers are conserved among all species of cranes. In addition to providing information about the utility of these genetic markers among species of cranes, the markers characterized here will be used to investigate the effects of the loss of genetic diversity in Whooping Cranes.

This research was supported by a grant from the National Science Foundation Research Experiences for Undergraduates (Award: BIR-9300225).