Abstract
Conservation schemes often aim at increasing genetic diversity by minimizing kinship, and the best method to achieve this goal, when pedigree data is available, is to apply optimal contributions. Optimal contributions calculate contributions per animal so that the weighted average mean kinship among candidate parents is minimized. This approach assumes that pedigree data is correct and complete. However, in practice, pedigrees often contain errors: parents are recorded incorrectly or even missing. We used simulations to investigate the effect of these two types of errors on minimizing kinship. Our findings show that a low percentage of wrong parent information reduces the effect of optimal contributions. When the percentage of wrong parent information is above 15%, the population structure and type of errors, should be taken into account before applying optimal contributions. Optimal contributions based on pedigrees with missing parent information hampers conservation of genetic diversity; however, missing parent information can be corrected. It is crucial to know which animals are founders. We strongly recommend that pedigree registration include whether missing parents are either true founders or non-founders.
Highlights
Genetic diversity within populations is necessary for adaptive capacity and avoidance of inbreeding depression on the long term
The genetic diversity saved by optimal contributions is less with low percentages of Wrong sire information (WSI)
If WSI is over 35%, on average, optimal contributions preserve less genetic diversity than equal contributions
Summary
Genetic diversity within populations is necessary for adaptive capacity and avoidance of inbreeding depression on the long term. The most efficient method to minimize kinship is to use optimal contribution selection (OCS) [3,4], a strategy that calculates contributions so that the weighted average mean kinship among potential parents (candidates) is minimized. This strategy associates higher contributions to genetically important animals, while animals with over-represented ancestors receive lower or zero contributions. In zoo populations, missing parent information is more often the rule than the exception [7], and even for many commercial domestic populations, it is well known that the recorded pedigree does not generally fully represent the true pedigree
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