Conservation genomics in the fight to help the recovery of the critically endangered Siamese crocodile Crocodylus siamensis.

Abstract

Endangered species are often characterized by low genetic diversity and it is imperative for conservation efforts to incorporate the knowledge obtained from genetic studies for effective management. However, despite the promise of technological advances in sequencing, application of genome-wide data to endangered populations remains uncommon. In the present study we pursued a holistic conservation-genomic approach to inform a field-based management programme of a Critically Endangered species, the Siamese crocodile Crocodylus siamensis. Using thousands of single nucleotide polymorphisms from throughout the genome, we revealed signals of introgression from two other crocodile species within our sample of both wild and captive-bred Siamese crocodiles from Cambodia. Our genetic screening of the Siamese crocodiles resulted in the subsequent re-introduction of 12 individuals into the wild as well as the selection of four individuals for captive breeding programmes. Comparison of intraspecific genetic diversity revealed an alarmingly low contemporary effective population size in the wild (<50) with evidence of a recent bottleneck around Tonle Sap Lake. We also projected a probable future extinction in the wild (within fewer than five generations) in this population in the absence of re-introduction efforts. However, an increase in the number of potential breeders through re-introductions, including the one resulting from this project, could counter this trend. Our results have been implemented in ongoing re-introduction and captive breeding programmes, with major implications for the conservation management of Siamese crocodiles, and provide a blueprint for the rescue effort of other "terminally ill" populations of critically endangered species.