That success is pleasing. That they can breed successfully in captivity and
can be successfully released can help replenish the greatly diminished wild
populations. However I wonder what is meant by this: "add new genes". What
new genes? Where would they have come from? The captive sample came from
wild birds, presumably not long enough ago (in number of generations) to
have accumulated useful mutations in the meantime, unless they had been
irradiated (obviously not a serious suggestion). So any genetic material in
the captive birds should be present in wild populations. The species does
not vary over its geographical range and it appears individuals potentially
move within the whole geographic range of the species. So can someone
explain this new genes idea? Or is it simply a set of words that was
inserted to overstate a case, because it gives the illusion of good PR?
Philip
-----Original Message-----From:
On Behalf Of Paul Taylor
Sent: Tuesday, 22 November 2011 11:10 PM To: Birding-aus Subject:
[Birding-Aus] Some good news for Regent Honeyeaters
From the Parks Victoria Facebook page:
Parks Victoria
The first documented, successful breeding from a captive bred and wild
Regent Honeyeater has occurred near Chiltern. The female captive bred bird,
released over 18 months ago, is the sixth of forty four released birds to be
confirmed alive this season. The bird had not been recorded since
shortly after the release date in May 2010.
The successful fledging of a chick on private property close to Chiltern Mt
Pilot National Park ticks the final box of the breeding and release program.
It has demonstrated the potential for captive bred birds to integrate and
add new genes to the greatly diminished wild populations.
Ten days after fledging the young bird was observed taking nectar from
blossom for the first time. (Brian, Ranger)
--
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Paul Taylor Veni, vidi, tici -
I came, I saw, I ticked.
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