First evidence of deviation from Mendelian proportions in a conservation program

Classic Mendelian inheritance is the bedrock of population genetics and underpins pedigree-based management of animal populations. However, assumptions of Mendelian inheritance might not be upheld in conservation breeding programs if early viability selection occurs, even when efforts are made to equalise genetic contributions of breeders. To test this possibility, we investigated deviations from Mendelian proportions in a captive meta-population of the endangered Tasmanian devil. This marsupial population is ideal for addressing evolutionary questions in conservation due to its large size, range of enclosure types (varying in environmental conditions), good genomic resources (which aid interpretation), and the species’ biology. Devil mothers give birth to more offspring than they can nurse in the pouch, providing the potential for intense viability selection amongst embryos. We used data from 140 known sire-dam-offspring triads to isolate within-family selection from population-level m...