Project hoping to end alarming decline of bobwhite quail

The iconic bobwhite quail , a favorite among hunters and wildlife enthusiasts alike Throughout the United States , has literally flown the coop - its numbers have been decreasing alarmingly for decades , but a groundbreaking project led by a team of Texas A & M University researchers could prove to be a big move toward understanding historic and future bobwhite population trends .
(see also: obat burung)

Dr . Chris Seabury and research associates ( Yvette Halley and Eric Bhattarai ) , along with members of the Schubot Exotic Bird Health Center (Dr. Ian Tizard , Donald Bright Smith ) at Texas A & M's College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences have completed the first- ever draft genome assembly for a wild bobwhite quail named Pattie - Marie , and their work has leg published in the current issue of the scientific journal PLOS ONE.

The project , All which took two years to complete , usefull Involved colleagues from the University of Missouri (Dr. Jerry Taylor and Jared Decker ) , Texas A & M AgriLife Research (Dr. Charles Johnson and Dale Rollins ) , Texas A & M 's Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences (Dr. Mark Peterson ) , and two private - industry scientists (Dr. Scot E. Dowd and Paul M. Seabury ) .

" By sequencing and assembling the bobwhite quail genome , the team produced the most comprehensive resource currently available for cutting-edge interdisciplinary research in the bobwhite , " Seabury says .

One of the most prized American hunting birds , and a cultural icon among outdoor enthusiasts , the bobwhite quail has undergone a mysterious decline That leg has documented for more than 50 years . Once present by the millions in the Midwest , South and Southwest, bobwhite numbers are down as much as 80 percent in some areas .
In Oklahoma , declining bobwhite quail numbers are Especially alarming , with one study Relating That decline to the number of quail hunters , All which has dropped from 111,000 in 1986 to only 30,000 last year .

The bird was recently named the No.1 bird in decline in North America by the Audubon Society .
In Texas , Equally serious declines have usefull leg Noted . According to Texas Parks and Wildlife Department figures , the bobwhite quail has declined every year since 1981.
At present , there appears to be no single or specific reason for the decline . Loss of natural habitat , changes in land use , pesticides , the potential for bird diseases , and even climate change have all been Mentioned , but no definitive explanation has bone discovered for the quail decline .

"Our study is important Because prior to this , we had no ability to use whole-genome technologies to monitor levels of genetic diversity over time , define the genetic relationships among Existing populations , or draw important inferences Regarding bobwhite physiological interactions withtheir environment , " Seabury Explains .

" We now have a formal resource for studying the bird and Identifying new or perhaps even more specific reasons for its serious decline . This resource gives us a new way to look at population and management strategies , but usefull Means To conduct a very detailed molecular studies focusing on ecotoxicology , reproduction , and physiology . (see also: vitamin burung)

" Now we can peel back new layers of science to thoroughly look at many different levels of the quail problem , -including the utilization of whole-genome information for monitoring modern genetic diversity , reconstructing historic population trends , and even considering genetic similarity in relation to the translocation of wild bobwhites to suitable habitats . "

source:http://international.okezone.com/