Saving Endangered Species by Translocation: Are We Tinkering with Evolution?

Abstract

species itself. Recent studies conducted in Hawaii of the Laysan finch (Telespyza cantans; Figure 1), endemic to Laysan Island, and a rock wallaby (Petrogale sp.; Figure 2) on the island of Oahu suggest that translocated populations may diverge very rapidly from parent populations. If this differentiation is genetically based, such translocations may represent human intervention in the evolutionary process, and wildlife managers need to consider this possibility when deciding whether to try translocation to save a threatened species. Recently Scott and Carpenter (1987) called attention to the fact that past attempts at reintroduction or translocation of a species have been poorly documented, leaving managers at a disadvantage in planning new programs. Translocations can have