Microsoft PowerPoint Portada taller Jaguares

inbreeding depression can play a major role in driving population dynamics, 

particularly when populations are quite small (i. e., less than 75-100 individuals). 

 

 

We can look at the average output from each of these three models to more 

directly evaluate their differences. This is shown in Figure 4. A more detailed 

viability analysis, often including 200 - 400 different models (scenarios), can 

provide a very detailed picture of the population dynamics of the species under 

study. Through this process, researchers and managers can study the population's 

response to changes in environment and changes in management over time. Using 

this information,' better decisions can be made regarding the effective 

conservation management of threatened species around the world. 

 

 

Figure 3. Summary plots of average population size (left panel) and probability of population 

persistence (right panel) for the three population models described in the text. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Figure 3. Population 

trajectories from a 

VORTEX 

Mesoamerican jaguar 

population model in which 

inbreeding depression 

(expressed as increased 

cub mortality) ¡s included. 

Year 

Population Size 

Population Persistence 

111 JAG_ BASE: OUT

222 JAG_001:OUT 

333 JAG_002:OUT 

111 JAG_ BASE: OUT

222 JAG_001:OUT 

333 JAG_002: OUT 

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A Preliminary Analysis of the Mesoamerican Regional Population of 

Jaguars in Captivity 

Philip Miller, CBSG 

In collaboration with Fernando Cabezas, Mesoamerican Jaguar Studbook 

Keeper at the Zoológico Nacional Simón Bolívar, Costa Rica, we were able to 

complete a simple set of preliminary analyses of the genetic status of the captive 

population. We used the Regional Studbook that had been updated on 28 

November 2000. 

At the time of the last update, the Studbook included a total of 24 wild-caught 

individuals. In addition, 17 animals born in captivity had at least one parent with 

known ancestry, while 6 animals were born from parents of unknown ancestry 

(giving a total of23 captive-born animals currently living in Mesoamerican zoos). 

Finally, 17 living animals have completely unknown ancestry, so we do not know if 

these individuals have one or two wild-caught parents. Because of their unknown 

ancestry, we have chosen to remove these animals from the analysis and are 

focusing on those animals of known ancestry in the current Studbook. 

We can use computer methods of analysis to evaluate the degree of representation 

(ancestry) from each of the wild-caught animals in the Studbook. This analysis is 

shown in Figure 1. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Figure 1. Chart of the extent of representation of wild-caught jaguars in the 

Mesoamerican Regional Studbook. Representation ¡s defined here as the 

percentage of genes in the descendant captive-born population that can be 

traced to a given wild-caught individual. 

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Two important! conclusions can be drawn from this analysis: 

• Only 10 of the 24 wild-caught individuals have produced living offspring in the 

current captive population. Therefore, more than half of the group of wild-

caught individuals has not yet contributed genes to the captive population. 

• Of those wild-caught individuals that have successfully bred, the representation 

of these individuals is highly skewed in favor of just two or three animals. A 

fundamental objective of genetic management of captive populations is to breed 

all wild-caught individuals in such a way as to equalize the genetic 

representation of each individual in the descendent population. Clearly, this 

objective has not yet been met. 

As a result of the highly skewed representation of wild-caught individuals in the 

descendent population, the extent of genetic variation present in the wild-caught 

population is not well-represented in the descendent population. Specifically, only 

88.7% of the total extent of genetic variation from breeding wild-caught individuals 

is present in the descendent population. Most detailed genetic management 

strategies set the minimum level of genetic variation to be retained at 90%. 

Therefore, the current captive population of jaguars in Mesoamerica is not meeting 

that minimum goal. 

However, this goal could be achieved through preferential breeding of those wild-

caught animals that have not yet bred. A listing of the total group of living wild-

caught jaguars in shown below. 

Numero del pedigrí

 

Edad

Parentesco medio

Localidad

 

Hembras 

49

 

>3

0.0

Ciudad de Guatemala

 

61

 

>6

0.0

San José, Costa Rica

 

50

 

>7

0.0

Salvador, Brasil

51

 

>7

0.0

Salvador, Brasil

92 •.

 

> 14

0.0

Tapachula, México

 

91

 

«18

0.0

Zoomat, México

22

 

>15

0.0185

San José, Costa Rica

 

63

 

UNK

0.0185

Pucallpa, Perú

8

 

>21

0.0185

Santa Domingo, RD

 

57

 

>8

0.0555

Minerva, Guatemala

 

24

 

>5

0.0833

San José, Costa Rica

 

3 >12 

0.1111 

Guadalajara, 

México 

 

 

 

 

Machos 

 0.0 

 

48 

0.0 Guatemala 

City 

14 

>6

 

0.0 Belize 

17 

>7

 

0.0 Belize 

60 

>8

 

0.0 

San José, Costa Rica 

9 

> 10

0.0 Pucallpa, 

Perú 

47 

> 13

0.0 Zoomat, 

México 

11 

>15

0.0 Paipai, 

Perú 

93 

>15

0.0 Zoomat, 

México 

62 

UNK

0.0185 Pucallpa, 

Perú 

21 

>21

0.0185 

San José, Costa Rica 

25 

>5

 

0.0833 

San José, Costa Rica 

 

 

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