AI Breakthrough: Scientists Deploy AI to Rescue Rare Parrot
(MENAFN) Scientists in New Zealand have achieved a significant milestone in the effort to save the critically endangered kakapo, successfully employing artificial insemination to enhance fertility and safeguard the species' limited genetic pool.
A collaborative study conducted by New Zealand's Department of Conservation, the University of Otago, and Germany's Justus Liebig University Giessen has revealed that AI presents a vital conservation strategy for the flightless parrot, recognized as one of the world's rarest. The research underscores AI's potential to improve reproductive success and maintain crucial genetic diversity within the population.
The study, released on Friday, highlighted that while the kakapo population has seen growth from a mere 51 individuals in 1995 to 142 in 2019, the species continues to grapple with low fertility rates and high embryo mortality.
The research, published in the peer-reviewed open-access scientific journal PLOS One, explained that kakapo reproduce infrequently, and their mating patterns result in a small number of males fathering the majority of offspring. This leaves some genetically significant birds without any progeny.
"Two of the main challenges facing the critically endangered kakapo are low productivity (only about 40 percent of eggs hatch) and high levels of genetic inbreeding," stated Andrew Digby, science advisor for kakapo/takahe at New Zealand's Department of Conservation and co-author of the study.
Digby further emphasized the importance of this development, saying, "Artificial insemination is an important tool to tackle these issues, since it helps improve fertility and enables preservation of important genetic diversity from individuals that don't mate naturally."
While AI in kakapo was first accomplished in 2009, consistent success had proven elusive until recent advancements. A partnership in 2019 between New Zealand's Kakapo Recovery Team and German parrot reproduction experts yielded significant progress, including the implementation of novel semen collection methods like abdominal massage and electric stimulation.
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