Chicago Zoological Society

Under the Microscope

Started in 1989, the Chicago Zoological Society’s Molecular Genetics program has provided genetic laboratory services for North American zoological institutions, with a special priority placed on animals with Species Survival Plans.
 
The program—led by Dr. Jean Dubach—is a unique resource for the zoological institutions it serves. No other lab or program provides the same range and depth of advanced genetic testing techniques, from allozyme and chromosome analysis to DNA fingerprinting, cloning, and sequencing.
 
This kind of information is becoming increasingly important as endangered and threatened species face challenges to their survival in the wild. Managed breeding programs, such as Species Survival Plans, ensure that species continue to pass on the fullest possible range of genetic diversity. The more genetic diversity a species has, the better its chances of surviving in changing habitats and climates.
 
One of the Molecular Genetic program’s most exciting areas of scientific innovation lies in the reconstruction of missing or incomplete pedigrees through genetic testing and modeling. Because it is common practice to prevent individual zoo animals of unknown pedigree from breeding, recovering pedigree information makes it possible to breed a far larger number of animals in zoos. This means a greater number of genetic variations can be passed on that otherwise would have been lost.
 
In Zoos and In The Wild

Molecular Genetics supplies information essential for enhancing the management of captive populations, with a emphasis on serving Association of Zoo and Aquariums (AZA) member institutions.

Dr. Dubach and her staff currently provide data to 195 institutions on over 110 species of birds, mammals, and reptiles, including species identification, gender and paternity determination, and pedigree reconstruction. The program does not limit itself to data gathered from animals in zoos, however. Program scientists are currently developing guidelines for onsite research of populations in the wild, especially species that also exist in zoos, such as African lions, Humboldt penguins, and many North American mammals.

Moving forward, the Molecuar Genetics progam is committed to expanding its scope, in the types of tests it conducts, the breadth of its geographic reach, and the ways in which that information is put to use to promote species health and survival.

Selected Achievements

The Molecular Genetics Program has

• Reconstructed pedigrees for individual animals in two group-living species, the Ring-tailed lemur and the Inca tern, allowing additional members of both species to breed.
• Identified a new species of the Mountain Brushtail possum in Australia.
•  Based on research on Humboldt penguins in the wild and in zoos, established that the species has been managed well in captivity.
• Established that separate geographically defined groups of African lions actually belong to the same subspecies, Panthera le oleo.