Subspecific identity and a comparison of genetic diversity between wild and ex situ wildebeest

Abstract

The original North American ex situ wildebeest population was believed to originate from the white‐bearded wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus albojubatus), which is both morphologically distinct and geographically separated from the brindled wildebeest (C. t. taurinus). However, after an import of wildebeest into North America in 2001, managers have suspected that white‐bearded and brindled wildebeest were mixed in herds at multiple institutions. We sequenced the mitochondrial control region (d‐loop) from a portion of the managed North American population and compared our sequences with previously published sequences from wild individuals to determine the subspecific identity and genetic diversity of our ex situ population. We were able to confidently identify C. t. albojubatus as the subspecies identity of the sampled portion of our population. Within our population, haplotype and nucleotide diversity were low (0.169 and 0.001, respectively) with a single common haplotype (H1) containing 41 of the 45 individuals sequenced, while two rare haplotypes (H2 and H3) were derived from three individuals and a single individual, respectively. Nucleotide and haplotype diversity were greater overall in the wild populations compared with our managed population. However, C. t. albojubatus was found to exhibit lower nucleotide diversity in both wild and ex situ populations when compared to other wild subspecies. Though the overall goal of the North American wildebeest population is for public education and not reintroduction, maintaining genetic diversity is vital for the long‐term viability of this managed population, which may benefit from periodic supplementation of wild animals.