Conservation Breeding Programs Research Articles

Ecological Civilisation and Amphibian Sustainability through Reproduction Biotechnologies, Biobanking, and Conservation Breeding Programs (RBCs)

Ecological Civilisation and Amphibian Sustainability through Reproduction Biotechnologies, Biobanking, and Conservation Breeding Programs (RBCs)

The importance of quantifying fitness-determining traits throughout life to assess the application of reproductive technologies for amphibian species recovery

The application of reproductive technologies to amphibian conservation breeding programs is gaining momentum and the field is poised to contribute significantly toward amphibian species recovery. We briefly discuss the opportunities for reproductive technologies to enhance conservation breeding outcomes, including their potential to enhance the genetic management, and in turn, the fitness of threatened species. Despite this potential, an important consideration that is not yet well understood is the degree to which specific reproductive technologies might influence (either enhance, or in some instances potentially decrease) individual fitness and lead to shifts in population viability. The development of a standardised approach to monitoring offspring throughout life-stages to detect changes to morphology, behaviour, physiology, survivorship, and developmental trajectories is essential. The primary focus of this review is to provide a ‘best-practise’ framework for quantifying key fitness determining traits expected to contribute to the fitness of individuals and long-term viability of populations, which will ultimately allow us to progress the field of amphibian reproductive technologies and assess the impact of protocol refinement.

Dietary niche of the endangered Psychedelic Rock Gecko (Cnemaspis psychedelica) in southern Vietnam

Abstract The Psychedelic Rock Gecko (Cnemaspis psychedelica), is a species endemic to southernmost Vietnam. It was recently assessed as Endangered in the IUCN Red List and also included in the CITES Appendix I, due to anthropogenic threats such as habitat degradation and over-collection for the pet trade. To protect wild populations and the natural habitat of this species, knowledge of its demography and ecology is essential to implement fitting conservation measures. In this study, we conducted field surveys on Hon Khoai Island, Ca Mau Province, southern Vietnam in both dry and wet seasons, and obtained food contents of 114 individuals of C. psychedelica by water-flushing the stomach without sacrificing them. Consequently, 685 invertebrate items were identified, belonging to 24 different prey types of 20 invertebrate orders, as well as flatworms, snails and plant parts. Araneae, Blattodea, Hymenoptera and Isoptera were identified as the most important prey of C. psychedelica, among which Araneae accounted for the highest percentage, and thus the highest importance index, during the dry season and Hymenoptera during the wet season. There was a large overlap in the trophic niche between the two seasons, and between males and females of C. psychedelica. This study shows that not only suitable habitat but also a particular food spectrum is a requirement for the species and this, in addition, is important to optimize conservation breeding programs.

Survival rates of wild and released White‐rumped Vultures (Gyps bengalensis), and their implications for conservation of vultures in Nepal

Beginning in the mid‐1990s, populations of three species of Gyps vultures declined by more than 97% in South Asia in little more than a decade, caused by unintentional poisoning by the non‐steroidal anti‐inflammatory drug (NSAID) diclofenac. This led to a ban on the veterinary use of the drug, and establishment of conservation breeding programmes, throughout the region. Once much of Nepal had been confirmed as being free from diclofenac, beginning in 2017 White‐rumped Vultures Gyps bengalensis were released from the captive breeding population. A total of 99 birds (n = 50 wild and n = 49 released) were fitted with GPS transmitters between 2017 and 2022 and monitored daily. Tag fixes suggesting death or ill‐health were followed up and dead vultures were retrieved for post‐mortem analysis. The estimated annual survival of wild adult vultures was 0.974 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.910–0.997), while that of wild subadults was 0.880 (95% CI 0.721–0.966). Survival rates of released birds were lower than those of wild birds, being 0.644 (95% CI 0.490–0.778) for adults and 0.758 (95% CI 0.579–0.887) for subadults. Post‐mortem analysis of dead vultures indicated several possible causes of death, including predation, infection and electrocution. There was no evidence that any birds died of NSAID poisoning. The high survival rates of wild birds, especially adults, and the lack of evidence for NSAID‐caused mortality, suggest that vulture habitat in the Nepal Vulture Safe Zone is free from diclofenac and that other hazards are sufficiently infrequent to allow the vulture population to recover. The lower survival of released birds compared with their wild counterparts suggests a need to improve the conservation breeding programme and release protocol.

Evaluating the role of caretaker‐rated personality traits for reproductive outcomes in a highly endangered Hawaiian corvid

AbstractPersonality studies are increasingly relevant and applicable to a broad range of conservation issues, including a role for selecting compatible mates in conservation breeding programs (CBPs). Choosing compatible breeding pairs is essential for maximizing reproductive success in CBPs, which provide assurance populations for species facing extinction and candidates for translocation to support wild populations. We investigated the value of caretaker‐assessed personality ratings of the critically endangered ‘Alalā (Hawaiian Crow, Corvus hawaiiensis) in predicting reproductive outcomes: nest quality, fertile egg production, and hatchability in the ‘Alalā CBP. Caretakers used well‐defined operational definitions to rate 22 personality traits for 69 male and 59 female ‘Alalā, achieving high inter‐rater agreement (ICC ≥ 0.85) for 8 traits – aggressive, bold/fearless, fearful, imprinted/abnormal, inept, submissive, territorial, and tendency to feather pluck (a stereotypic behavior) – used in a principal components analysis to distill intercorrelated variables into three principal components. While we did not find that personality influences nest quality or hatchability (based on limiting inferences to fixed effects with high relative importance scores; ≥0.8), we found some evidence that pairs with males that were more territorial/aggressive and fearful than their mates had a higher probability of egg fertilization, but there was substantial variability in this relationship, with confidence intervals overlapping zero. These personality traits may influence pair dynamics, enhancing compatibility, may predict better pair coordination on the nest, or both. Our results highlight the ability of caretakers to successfully identify ‘Alalā personality traits and provide some support for integrating personality into the pairing process; however, further research is needed to understand the value of ‘Alalā personality as a mate selection tool. The application of similar approaches to enhance CBP performance in other taxa is promising, but will require overcoming methodological challenges surrounding the complexity of data collection and interpretation of consistency among raters.

The influence of pair duration on reproductive success in the monogamous ‘Alalā (Hawaiian crow, Corvus hawaiiensis)

Conservation breeding program practitioners select potential mates in an attempt to maximize pair compatibility and maintain genetic diversity. Therefore, pair duration, or the number of breeding seasons that individuals retain the same mate, is practitioner-determined in these settings. There is a critical need to evaluate whether pair duration influences reproductive success in ex situ assurance populations, particularly for socially monogamous species. The ‘Alalā (Hawaiian crow, Corvus hawaiiensis) is a monogamous forest bird that is currently extinct in the wild. Today, ‘Alalā exist only in human care for intensive conservation breeding. We analyzed breeding program data from 2018-2021 to determine the effects of ‘Alalā pair duration and age on reproduction (nest building, egg laying, hatching, and fledging). We found that pair duration does not influence reproductive outcomes, and thus practitioners can be more proactive when re-pairing birds. Female and male age, on the other hand, influenced the probability of nest building, clutch production, and overall reproductive success. Nest building and clutch production probabilities were high (near 1) and stable as females aged from 2 to ~ 12 years old, declining sharply thereafter. In males, overall reproductive success (from building robust nests to rearing at least one nestling to fledge) increased with age from 2 to ~ 9 years old, peaked and reached an asymptote with males ≳ 9 to ~ 13 years old, and decreased in males ≳ 13 years old. Thus, integrating age into the pair selection process will increase the likelihood of achieving conservation goals. To our knowledge, we are the first to utilize empirical pair duration results to provide specific management recommendations for mate selection in an avian conservation breeding program. Our findings have critical utility for guiding ‘Alalā pairing decisions, and more broadly underscore the importance of evaluating mate retention and selection protocols in other conservation breeding programs.

First successful artificial insemination of the endangered Louisiana pinesnake, Pituophis ruthveni.

The Louisiana pinesnake (Pituophis ruthveni) is considered one of the rarest snakes in North America and was federally listed under the Endangered Species Act in 2018. Captive breeding and reintroduction of zoo-bred hatchlings has been successful, however, limited founders in the captive population and the inability to bring new, wild genes into the captive colony presents a major concern for the conservation of this species. The use of artificial insemination (AI) was first applied to snakes in the 1980s but further development of the technique has since received little attention. Our goal was to develop a method of AI for use in breeding Louisiana pinesnakes to facilitate gene flow from wild to captive populations. We inseminated two captive Louisiana pinesnakes with semen collected from one donor male, novel to both females. Timing of AI occurred following the emergence of females from brumation, and when large, distinct follicles were detected using digital palpation. Females were inseminated four and five times over a period of 14 and 19 days, respectively, using fresh and 2-day refrigerator stored semen. One female laid seven eggs, which resulted in four fertile eggs and two viable hatchlings, while the second female produced three fertile of seven eggs laid but no viable hatchlings. Genetic analyses confirmed the donor male was the sire of hatchlings. This is the first successful AI of an endangered snake species and provides a framework for the use and optimization of assisted reproductive technologies for use in conservation breeding programs.

Cryopreservation Cooling Rate Impacts Post-Thaw Sperm Motility and Survival in Litoria booroolongensis.

The cryopreservation and storage of gametes (biobanking) can provide a long-term, low-cost option for the preservation of population genetic diversity and is particularly impactful when applied to manage selective breeding within conservation breeding programs (CBPs). This study aimed to develop a sperm cryopreservation protocol for the critically endangered Booroolong frog (Litoria booroolongensis) to capture founder genetics within the recently established (est. 2019) CBP for this species. Hormone-induced sperm release was achieved using established protocols, and spermic urine samples were collected over a 6-h period. Pooled spermic urine samples (n = 3 males) were divided equally between two cryoprotectant (CPA) treatments and diluted by 1:5 (sperm:CPA) with either 15% (v/v) dimethyl sulfoxide + 1% (w/v) sucrose in simplified amphibian Ringer's (SAR; CPAA) or 10% (v/v) dimethylformamide + 10% (w/v) trehalose dihydrate in SAR (CPAB). The samples were cryopreserved in 0.25 mL straws using either a programmable freezer (FrA) or an adapted dry shipper method (FrB). The thawed samples were activated via dilution in water and assessed for viability and motility using both manual assessment and computer-assisted sperm analysis (CASA; 0 h, 0.5 h post-thaw). Upon activation, the survival and recovery of motility (total motility, forward progression and velocity) of cryopreserved sperm suspensions were higher for sperm preserved using FrB than FrA, regardless of CPA composition. This work supports our long-term goal to pioneer the integration of biobanked cryopreserved sperm with population genetic management to maximize restoration program outcomes for Australian amphibian species.

Core Collection Formation in Guatemalan Wild Avocado Germplasm with Phenotypic and SSR Data

Guatemala’s wild avocado germplasm holds vital genetic value, but lacking conservation strategies imperils it. Studying its diversity is pivotal for conservation and breeding. The study aimed to comprehensively assess the wild avocado germplasm in Guatemala by combining phenotypic and genotypic data and to create a core collection for conservation and future breeding programs. A total of 189 mature avocado trees were sampled across Guatemala’s northern, southern, and western regions. Morphological characteristics were documented, and genetic diversity was assessed using 12 SSR loci. The investigated germplasm revealed three distinct genetic clusters, exhibiting an average gene diversity of 0.796 and a 7.74% molecular variation among them. The samples showed various morphological characteristics that indicate the presence of three avocado races in Guatemala. The weak correlation between phenotypic and genotypic distances highlighted their independence and complementary nature. The joint matrix effectively integrated and captured genotypic and phenotypic data for comprehensive genetic diversity analysis. A core collection comprising 20% of total accessions that captured maximum genetic diversity was formed. This study exposed wild Guatemalan avocados’ genetic diversity, morphological traits, and conservation significance. Integrated data capture via clustering validates holistic genetic insight for conservation and breeding strategies.

From Captivity to Conservation Success: A Review on the Mouse Deer Breeding Program and its Implications for Biodiversity Preservation

Captive breeding has become an important tool for conserving threatened species. The success of these conservation programs depends on the survival of species through self-sustaining populations managed by scientific values. Mouse deer is a primitive deer that plays a crucial role in the forest ecosystem as a key seed disperser and forms significant prey for both small and large predators. Despite its significance, little is known about this species' mating behavior and reproductive physiology in both the wild and captivity. As part of the conservation breeding and species recovery program, a breeding program of mouse deer started with the aim of breeding them in captivity and release them into the wild to preserve the biodiversity. This program began with six founder individuals and we observed a remarkable increase of 400 individuals within 10 years. These captive-bred individuals have been successfully introduced into the wild. This paper presents a comprehensive review of potential factors required for the successful breeding program and also provides recommendations on future directions and perspectives of conservation breeding program of mouse deer and other species.

Behavior of addax (Addax nasomaculatus) and Arabian oryx (Oryx leucoryx) mothers and calves during the calves’ first day of life

Successful reproduction, which is central to conservation breeding programs, comprises many stages, culminating in production of healthy young. Effective management of these programs relies, among other things, on accurate information on basic behavioral patterns. Yet, especially for species that are active through the night, such data are lacking. This study focused on adult female addax (N = 7) and Arabian oryx (N = 6), two antelope species prioritized by the international zoo community, using video to record behavior of mothers 1 h before and of mothers and calves during the first 24 h following birth. In the hour before giving birth, mothers were restless but all were recumbent during parturition. Most mothers stood and began licking their calves within a few minutes, and most calves stood within the first 2 h. Addax calves began nursing sooner (mean 1 h 42 min) than oryx calves (mean 4 h 45 min). Although the first nursing bout was longer for oryx than addax calves, the mean nursing bout length (addax: 1 min 26 s, oryx: 1 min 3 s) and total duration of nursing for the full 24 h (addax: 38 min 42 s, oryx: 28 min 51 s) did not differ. Both species spent most of the 24 h in proximity (>70 %), concentrated in the first hours after birth, with a trend for less time in proximity across the 24 h. Addax mothers appeared to be more attentive, spending more time licking/grooming their calves, especially in the first hours. Calves of both species spent most of the 24 h lying down (addax: 84.5 %, oryx: 66.7 %). There was a wide range of variation in most parameters within both species, emphasizing individual differences. Further studies will be necessary to investigate possible influences of factors such as parity and sex of calf. Nevertheless, the results of this study should be helpful to animal managers as well as to field biologists in understanding the behavioral dynamics of addax and Arabian oryx maternal care and neonatal calf behavior that occur during the first critical 24 h of an infant’s life.

Geckos in zoos: A global approach on distribution patterns of threatened geckos (Gekkota) in zoological institutions

According to the One Plan Approach to Conservation, proposed by the IUCN SSC Conservation Planning Specialist Group (CPSG), there is, besides in situ conservation measures, also increased need for ex situ conservation breeding of threatened taxa. To gain a better overview of the current situation, we have compiled information from the zoo databases ZIMS (Zoological Information Management System) and ZTL (Zootierliste) on the husbandry of gecko species (suborder Gekkota) worldwide. Only 9.3 % (n = 201) of the 2151 currently recognized gecko species from seven families were kept according to ZIMS, of which about 20.4 % (n = 41) were classified as threatened. Most species were kept in European, North American and Australian zoos. Many of the species were kept outside the natural distributional range hotspots of geckos. However, institutions in Oceania kept mainly native geckos. The species richness of the natural distributional ranges of zoo-kept geckos was highest in Australia, Southeast Asia, Madagascar and lowest in South America. About 38.0 % (n = 25) of zoo-kept species with a successful breeding record were threatened, and most reproductive successes of threatened species have been recorded from only one institution per species. Although Gekkota is the most species-rich group among lizards (Sauria), they are still relatively poorly represented in zoological institutions, and most of the kept species are not threatened. Zoos inside and outside the distributional range can play a key role in conservation (breeding) programs, when they continue to provide their expertise and resources for the buildup of insurance colonies for threatened taxa. Preferably this is carried out in cooperation with experts and conservation centers from the species’ range countries and also in cooperation with Citizen Conservation programs.

The Transmission Patterns of the Endosymbiont Wolbachia within the Hawaiian Drosophilidae Adaptive Radiation.

The evolution of endosymbionts and their hosts can lead to highly dynamic interactions with varying fitness effects for both the endosymbiont and host species. Wolbachia, a ubiquitous endosymbiont of arthropods and nematodes, can have both beneficial and detrimental effects on host fitness. We documented the occurrence and patterns of transmission of Wolbachia within the Hawaiian Drosophilidae and examined the potential contributions of Wolbachia to the rapid diversification of their hosts. Screens for Wolbachia infections across a minimum of 140 species of Hawaiian Drosophila and Scaptomyza revealed species-level infections of 20.0%, and across all 399 samples, a general infection rate of 10.3%. Among the 44 Wolbachia strains we identified using a modified Wolbachia multi-locus strain typing scheme, 30 (68.18%) belonged to supergroup B, five (11.36%) belonged to supergroup A, and nine (20.45%) had alleles with conflicting supergroup assignments. Co-phylogenetic reconciliation analysis indicated that Wolbachia strain diversity within their endemic Hawaiian Drosophilidae hosts can be explained by vertical (e.g., co-speciation) and horizontal (e.g., host switch) modes of transmission. Results from stochastic character trait mapping suggest that horizontal transmission is associated with the preferred oviposition substrate of the host, but not the host's plant family or island of occurrence. For Hawaiian Drosophilid species of conservation concern, with 13 species listed as endangered and 1 listed as threatened, knowledge of Wolbachia strain types, infection status, and potential for superinfection could assist with conservation breeding programs designed to bolster population sizes, especially when wild populations are supplemented with laboratory-reared, translocated individuals. Future research aimed at improving the understanding of the mechanisms of Wolbachia transmission in nature, their impact on the host, and their role in host species formation may shed light on the influence of Wolbachia as an evolutionary driver, especially in Hawaiian ecosystems.

Genomics of founders for conservation breeding: the Jasper caribou case.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10592-023-01540-3.

The Increasing Role of Short-Term Sperm Storage and Cryopreservation in Conserving Threatened Amphibian Species.

Multidisciplinary approaches to conserve threatened species are required to curb biodiversity loss. Globally, amphibians are facing the most severe declines of any vertebrate class. In response, conservation breeding programs have been established in a growing number of amphibian species as a safeguard against further extinction. One of the main challenges to the long-term success of conservation breeding programs is the maintenance of genetic diversity, which, if lost, poses threats to the viability and adaptive potential of at-risk populations. Integrating reproductive technologies into conservation breeding programs can greatly assist genetic management and facilitate genetic exchange between captive and wild populations, as well as reinvigorate genetic diversity from expired genotypes. The generation of offspring produced via assisted fertilisation using frozen-thawed sperm has been achieved in a small but growing number of amphibian species and is poised to be a valuable tool for the genetic management of many more threatened species globally. This review discusses the role of sperm storage in amphibian conservation, presents the state of current technologies for the short-term cold storage and cryopreservation of amphibian sperm, and discusses the generation of cryo-derived offspring.

Adapting conservation breeding techniques using a data-driven approach to restore the 'Alalā (Hawaiian crow, Corvus hawaiiensis).

For some critically endangered species, conservation breeding is a vital steppingstone toward re-establishing wild populations. The 'Alalā (Hawaiian crow, Corvus hawaiiensis), currently extinct in the wild, exists today only in a conservation breeding program, which, for many years, utilized successful hands-on husbandry approaches such as separating and resocializing pairs, providing partially manmade nests, artificially incubating eggs, and puppet rearing nestlings. Yet, a top priority of any conservation breeding program is to retain natural behaviors essential to postrelease survival and reproduction, to achieve successful reintroduction and restoration to the wild. We describe how we are adapting 'Alalā husbandry techniques to strengthen pair bonds through full-time socialization, enable pairs to build robust nests, encourage females to incubate eggs to hatch, and provide pairs and their offspring with vital parental rearing experiences. We discuss the use of standardized, data-driven methods to objectively track our progress towards successful parental breeding and to select release candidates based on their likelihood to survive and breed in the wild. The information shared in this report can be applied to other conservation breeding programs, particularly those implementing or transitioning to husbandry techniques geared towards preparing species to thrive in the wild.

Early life experience with predators impacts development, behavior, and post‐translocation outcomes in an endangered amphibian

AbstractPre‐release training is becoming a standard practice in conservation breeding and translocation programs for mammals and birds, but is still relatively neglected for herpetofauna, likely stemming from widespread beliefs that amphibians are “hard‐wired” and are thus predicted to benefit little from experiential learning. However, experience during development can drive both morphological and behavioral modifications that could benefit post‐translocation survival. Here, we developed an anti‐predator training program for the endangered mountain yellow‐legged frog Rana muscosa and evaluated its impact on morphometrics, developmental rates, behavior, and post‐release outcomes. Using a controlled, balanced factorial experimental design, we exposed individuals at two developmental stages (tadpoles and post‐metamorphic) to visual and olfactory cues from one of its principal predators, the two‐striped garter snake Thamnophis hammondii. We found that exposure to predators during the tadpole stage impacted tadpole development, morphology, and behavior. However, we found no evidence that post‐metamorphic behavior or post‐release outcomes were influenced by tadpole predator exposure, either on its own or in interaction with post‐metamorphic training treatments. Training of post‐metamorphic frogs, however, yielded evidence of learning, with downstream effects on behavior and apparent survival after release into the wild. Our findings produce novel insights on the value of anti‐predator training in amphibian conservation translocation programs, bolster recent evidence re‐evaluating the importance of learning and developmental experience for amphibian species, and provide guidance for selecting optimal developmental windows for training.

Carry‐over effects of nestling physical condition predict first‐year survival of a critically endangered migratory parrot

AbstractConservation breeding programs are an increasingly important tool to help supplement declining wild populations, but captive‐bred animals generally do not survive well post‐release. Early life in captivity has the potential to influence growth and development, with impacts carrying over to affect survival. Understanding carry‐over effects of captivity and consequences on survival is critically important for conservation efforts globally but remains poorly understood. We examined the relationship between early‐life environment, physical condition, and juvenile survival of wild and captive‐bred critically endangered orange‐bellied parrots (Neophema chrysogaster). Using nestling growth models, we calculated a body condition index for 1,039 wild and captive‐bred orange‐bellied parrots hatched over six breeding seasons. Nestling body condition varied with year, provenance, and brood position. Wild nestlings had consistently higher body condition than captive‐bred nestlings, and first‐hatched nestlings were typically heavier than later hatched siblings. We then investigated first‐year survival for 298 wild‐born and captive‐bred released parrots in the wild. Overall, first‐year survival was 27.5%, and individual body condition was more influential than provenance in predicting survival. Our findings could be used to aid the selection of individuals for release that have the best prospects of surviving in the wild. This study addresses important questions about the post‐release fitness of captive‐bred animals, and our metric of assessing physical condition provides a straightforward tool for other conservation breeding programs to adapt management techniques to improve survival outcomes.

Identifying factors affecting captive breeding success in a critically endangered species

ABSTRACT Captive breeding programs are an increasingly important tool for species’ conservation efforts, but not all species reproduce well in captivity. Identifying factors that affect the reproductive success of captive populations is crucial to improving the performance and management of conservation-breeding programs, both by providing individuals for release and informing decision making. We examined breeding records collected from the long-running conservation-breeding program for the critically endangered Orange-bellied Parrot Neophema chrysogaster over an 11-year period. We examined egg hatching rate, nestling survival rate, and offspring sex ratio in response to a wide range of variables related to characteristics of individual birds, breeding events, and the captive environment. The hatch rate of eggs was higher in first clutches compared to second clutches and was lower than the wild population. The survival rate of nestlings through to fledging was variable between years but became higher and more consistent over the last five years of the study period. Variation in brood sex ratio was not related to any of the potential explanatory variables that we examined. This is one of the first studies to examine reproductive data in a long-running conservation-breeding program and shows that many common metrics do not explain reproductive variation. Our approach provides a framework for managers to investigate factors affecting reproductive success in conservation breeding programs more broadly.

Assessment of genetic diversity and population structure of Indian common bean accessions using microsatellite markers

AbstractCommon bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is an important crop of family Fabaceae used as a potential source of proteins, fibres and minerals. Thus, characterization of existing germplasm is useful for improvement and conservation. The Indian Himalayan Region harbours plentiful varieties of common bean, but it is nearly unexplored till date. In the present study, physical and genetic diversity of common bean was examined. Fifteen newly designed chloroplast microsatellite (cpSSR) markers were used to assess genetic diversity and population structure in 119 common bean individuals from 20 diverse accessions gathered from Uttarakhand, India. Significantly, positive (p< 0.05) relationship of seed weight was found with seed length (r = 0.813), seed width (r = 0.692) and seed length- width ratio (r = 0.694) using Pearson correlation analysis. A total of 20 alleles were identified using eight cpSSR markers. Mean number of alleles per locus (Na = 1.55), effective allele number (Ne = 1.370), expected heterozygosity (He = 0.213), average polymorphic loci (10.9) and Shannon information index (I = 0.313) were estimated based on cpSSR data. Maximum genetic diversity (He) was recorded in the AKJ/KK/DP/Jhalla/23 accession and minimum in the AKJ/YB/PS/Supi/43 accession. Bayesian-based STRUCTURE evaluation using cpSSR-based information partitioned 20 accessions into two distinct clusters which were also supported by neighbor-joining cluster analysis. These cpSSR markers also demonstrated transferability among other members like Vigna radiata, Macrotyloma uniflorum, Glycine max, Vigna mungo of Fabaceae family, therefore can be used to monitor their genetic heterogeneity. The findings from the study might be valuable to identify elite common bean accessions for production, conservation and future breeding programmes.