Genetic diversity in global populations of the Critically Endangered addax (Addax nasomaculatus) and its implications for conservation

Addax (Addax nasomaculatus) have suffered a catastrophic decline in the wild and now number less than 100 individuals, yet thousands remain in ex situ populations. However, genetic data are needed to ascertain the relationships between wild and ex situ populations that have incomplete knowledge of founder origins, management histories and pedigrees. To assist conservation planning for this Critically Endangered species, we undertook a global assessment of genetic diversity across wild, ex situ, and reintroduced populations in Tunisia. We used double-digest restriction associated DNA (ddRAD) was used to generate a reduced representation library from addax across European, North American and UAE captive populations. Libraries of up to 96 samples were generated using the restriction enzymes SbfI and SphI and size selecting for approximately 400-700bp. Each library was sequenced on an Illumina HiSeq.