As a Conservation Geneticist, You Are Interested in Saving the Genetic

question 16

Essay

As a conservation geneticist, you are interested in saving the genetic heritage of an endangered bird species that has dwindled in population size to just a few individuals. You decide the best course of action is to attempt to hybridize these individuals with a related species. There are several species that look similar to the endangered bird species, but some are likely to be more closely related to it than others. How might you use mtDNA to help select the hybrid partner for your captive breeding program, and why might it be important to select the closest relative?

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