The genetics of conservation: Peering into DNA to save species and ecosystems
Scientists know the bear as Ursus americanus kermodei, or the Kermode bear, named after biologist Frank Kermode. Kermode, a former director of the Royal British Columbia Museum in Victoria, was among the first to research the subspecies. The bear is a color polymorphism of the black bear Ursus americanus. “Spirit bears have one of the […]
Giraffe translocation population viability analysis
Most populations of giraffes have declined in recent decades, leading to the recent IUCN decision to upgrade the species to Vulnerable status, and some subspecies to Endangered. Translocations have been used as a conservation tool to re-introduce giraffes to previously occupied areas or establish new populations, but guidelines for founding populations are lacking. To provide […]