Cover -- Half-title -- Series-title -- Title -- Copyright -- Contents -- Contributors -- Foreword -- PART I Introduction -- 1 Toward more effective reproductive science for conservation -- INTRODUCTION -- REPRODUCTIVE SCIENCES IN AN INTEGRATIVE APPROACH -- Uni-disciplinary to multidisciplinary -- An integrative case study, the giant panda -- Biomedical Survey of giant pandas -- Limits to giant panda reproduction -- Other project benefits -- THE NEED TO STUDY MORE SPECIES -- Most attention on too few species -- Contributions of leading journals to wildlife -- Numbers of species studied -- CAPACITY BUILDING FOR THE NEXT GENERATION -- Public interest in reproduction -- Scientists as role models -- Beyond Science-in-the-Classroom -- Multiplier effect through teacher training -- CONCLUSION -- ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS -- REFERENCES -- PART II Reproduction and population viability -- 2 Behaviour and reproduction -- INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES -- STATE OF THE ART -- 1. The mandrill (Mandrillus sphinx): what is its mating system? -- 2. The white rhinoceros (eratotherium simum): is socioendocrinology important for reproduction? -- 3. The California condor (Gymnogyps californianus): are captive pairs compatible? -- SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS -- ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS -- REFERENCES -- 3 Nutrition and its interaction with reproductive processes -- INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES -- STATE OF THE ART -- Foetal nutrition and subsequent reproductive performance -- Energy balance, stress and ovulation -- Target body weights and condition scores -- Nutrient provision and reproductive success in egg-laying and other species -- Feed toxins and reproductive repercussions -- PRIORITIES FOR THE FUTURE -- Feed for fitness and recognise role of body reserves -- Beware of overfeeding-consider growth targets -- Evaluate dietary adequacy in egg-laying species.

Keep diets safe and use suitable feeding regimens -- CONCLUSION -- ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS -- REFERENCES -- 4 Environmental chemicals and the threat to male fertility in mammals: evidence and perspective -- INTRODUCTION -- BRIEF HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE -- ENDOCRINE DISRUPTING CHEMICALS -- TRENDS IN THE REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH OF MEN -- MAMMALS OTHER THAN MAN -- PRIORITIES FOR THE FUTURE -- ACKNOWLEDGEMENT -- REFERENCES -- 5 Assessing the consequences of inbreeding for population fitness: past challenges and future prospects -- INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES -- STATE OF THE ART -- Inbreeding depression in wild species -- Variability in inbreeding depression and implications for its detection in wildlife populations - experimental results -- 1. Extensive variation among experimental lines exists in response to inbreeding -- 2. Inbreeding depression is environment-dependent -- 3. Inbreeding depression affects fitness traits and life history stages differentially -- 4. Inbreeding depression affects the sexes differentially -- 5. Inbreeding differentially affects closely related taxa -- Purging and the genetic basis of inbreeding depression -- Inbreeding effects on population viability -- Can we predict population/taxon susceptibility to inbreeding depression? -- PRIORITIES FOR THE FUTURE -- CONCLUSION -- REFERENCES -- 6 Impacts of inbreeding on components of reproductive success -- INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES -- TERMINOLOGY -- COMPONENTS OF FITNESS -- INBREEDING DEPRESSION OF JUVENILE SURVIVAL -- INBREEDING DEPRESSION OF ADULT SURVIVAL -- MATE ACQUISITION -- Effect of inbreeding on mate acquisition -- Effect of kinship on mate acquisition -- FECUNDITY -- Effect of inbreeding on fecundity -- Effect of kinship on fecundity -- INBREEDING DEPRESSION OF PARENTAL CARE -- SUMMARY AND PRIORITIES FOR FUTURE RESEARCH -- ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS -- REFERENCES.

7 The major histocompatibility complex (MHC) in declining populations: an example of adaptive variation -- INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES -- Major histocompatibility complex (MHC) -- Balancing selection at the MHC -- STATE OF THE ART -- MHC variation in endangered species -- Arabian oryx -- Mexican wolf -- Pedigree approaches to maintaining MHC Variation -- PRIORITIES FOR THE FUTURE -- CONCLUSION -- ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS -- REFERENCES -- 8 When is the birth rate the key factor associated with population dynamics? -- INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES -- STATE OF THE ART -- The red deer of Rum -- Structured accounting of the variance of demographic change -- Matrix modelling -- Generalisations -- PRIORITIES FOR THE FUTURE -- SUMMARY -- ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS -- REFERENCES -- PART III Reproductive techniques for conservation management -- 9 Reproductive and welfare monitoring for the management of ex situ populations -- INTRODUCTION -- STATE OF THE ART -- Genetic management -- Behaviour -- Inbreeding -- Environment -- Contraception -- Welfare monitoringin ex situ conservation programmes -- PRIORITIES FOR THE FUTURE -- ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS -- REFERENCES -- 10 Non-invasive endocrine measures of reproduction and stress in wild populations -- INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE -- STATE OF THE ART -- Advantages of endocrine monitoring -- Metabolic and technical considerations -- Method validation -- Urinary hormone monitoring -- Faecal hormone monitoring -- Non-invasive corticosteroid monitoring -- PRIORITIES FOR THE FUTURE -- Improved field methods for specimen preservation and storage -- Simplified extraction and assay methods for field use -- Improved collaboration between zoo biologists and academic scientists -- CONCLUSIONS -- ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS -- REFERENCES -- 11 Ultrasound for analysis of reproductive function in wildlife species -- INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES -- STATE OF THE ART.

Advantages of ultrasonography -- Challenges of using ultrasonography for wildlife -- Ultrasonography for reproductive assessments -- Sex determination -- Reproductive assessments -- Reproductive pathology assessments -- Identifying prenatal pathology -- Support of assisted reproductive techniques -- CASE STUDIES -- Case study 1: Fertility challenges in elephants -- Case study 2: Assisted reproduction in the giant panda -- Case study 3: Fertility assessment of European brown hare -- Case study 4: Disrupting pregnancy in bears using anti-progestins -- FUTURE PRIORITIES -- ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS -- REFERENCES -- 12 Role of embryo technologies in genetic management and conservation of wildlife -- INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES -- STATE OF THE ART -- In vitro embryo production from oocytes matured in vivo or in vitro -- IN VITRO EMBRYO PRODUCTION BY SPERM MICROINJECTION -- Embryo multiplication and nuclear transfer (cloning) -- Surrogacy -- CONCLUSIONS AND PRIORITIES FOR THE FUTURE -- ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS -- REFERENCES -- 13 Application of nuclear transfer technology to wildlife species -- INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES -- STATE OF THE ART -- Technological realities of using nuclear transfer -- Reprogramming the nucleus -- Recipient oocyte function -- Cytoplasmic inheritance -- DNA structure -- Oocyte activation -- Gestational surrogates -- Development -- Conceptual and practical challenges associated with nuclear transfer in ex situ breeding programmes -- Small population size -- Interfering with other high priorities, especially the need to maintain habitat -- Ethical and legal issues -- CONCLUSIONS AND FUTURE PRIORITIES -- ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS -- REFERENCES -- PART IV Integrated conservation management -- 14 Integrating reproductive sciences into recovery programmes for declining and extinct marsupial populations -- INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES.

Marsupial evolution, diversity and extinction -- Marsupial recovery and the role of reproductive science -- STATE OF THE ART -- ART and marsupials -- Case histories -- Breeding success and reintroduction of the Eastern barred bandicoot (EBB) (Perameles gunnii ) -- Saving the 'Shadow': applying ART to conserving the Victorian brush-tailed rock wallaby -- Recovery of the Northern hairy-nosed wombat -- Re-creating the thylacine -- CONCLUSIONS AND PRIORITIES FOR THE FUTURE -- ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS -- REFERENCES -- 15 Captive breeding and predator control: a successful strategy for conservation in Western Australia -- INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES -- STATE OF THE ART -- A wave of extinctions -- Predation as a factor in the decline of species in Western Australia -- Captive breeding: action for recovery -- 1. Chuditch (Western quoll, Dasyurus geoffroii) -- 2. Dibbler (Parantechinus apicalis) -- 3. Numbat (Myrmecobius fasciatus) -- 4. Djoongari (Shark Bay Mouse, Pseudomys fieldi) -- 5. Wopilkara (greater stick-nest rat, Leporilus conditor) -- Practical integration of genetics and reproductive biology -- PRIORITIES FOR THE FUTURE -- CONCLUSION -- ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS -- REFERENCES -- 16 Black-footed ferret: model for assisted reproductive technologies contributing to in situ conservation -- INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES -- STATE OF THE ART: THE CASE OF THE BLACK-FOOTED FERRET -- Decline of black-footed ferrets -- Species recovery strategy -- Ex situ natural breeding -- Reintroduction -- Development of reproductive technologies and the value of 'animal models' -- Assisted technologies for enhancing reproductive efficiency in the black-footed ferret -- PRIORITIES FOR THE FUTURE -- CONCLUSION -- ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS -- REFERENCES -- 17 Genetic resource banks for species conservation -- INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND -- STATE OF THE ART -- Origins of the GRB concept.

GOALS OF GRB PROGRAMMES.