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0:00
Hello, I'm Jacqueline
Robinson and I am
a postdoctoral researcher in
the Institute for
Human Genetics at
the University of
California, San Francisco.
In this presentation, we will be
covering some of the
fundamental theories and
practical applications
of conservation genomics
with a particular focus on
genetic diversity
and inbreeding.
0:22
There is accumulating
evidence that Earth is
currently in the midst of a
global extinction crisis,
driven by the direct and
indirect impacts
of human activity.
The five most prominent
factors driving
this extinction crisis are, one,
changes in land and sea use,
such as the draining of wetlands
or clearing of forests
for agriculture.
Two, the direct exploitation of
organisms such as
fishing and poaching.
Three, climate change.
Four, pollution, and
five, invasive species.
Unfortunately, as we see
in the graph on the left,
the extinction rates
of many groups
of organisms are
increasing rapidly.
Effective conservation
efforts are
needed now more than ever,
and will become increasingly
vital as time goes on.
1:08
Conservation is a
little different from
many other disciplines
in that it is mission
driven and highly
multidisciplinary.
Its ultimate mission
is to preserve
biodiversity and the
processes that sustain it.
Achieving this goal requires
incorporating many
fields of knowledge,
including ecology, evolution,
law, economics, and more.
In the rest of this presentation
we will be focusing
on how genetics factors
into conservation.
1:37
First, we will
cover the aims and
methods of modern
conservation genomics.
Then we will learn
about applications and
conservation based on
genetic similarity
or distinctiveness.
Then we will see how
genetic diversity
is correlated with
population size or
abundance before moving on to
the topics of inbreeding
and inbreeding depression.
Finally, we will see how
genomics may be useful in
efforts to prevent or
even reverse extinctions.
