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Reproductive Science as an Essential Component of Conservation Biology

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Reproductive Sciences in Animal Conservation

Part of the book series: Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology ((AEMB,volume 753))

Abstract

In this chapter we argue that reproductive science in its broadest sense has never been more important in terms of its value to conservation biology, which itself is a synthetic and multidisciplinary topic. Over recent years the place of reproductive science in wildlife conservation has developed massively across a wide and integrated range of cutting edge topics. We now have unprecedented insight into the way that environmental change affects basic reproductive functions such as ovulation, sperm production, pregnancy and embryo development through previously unsuspected influences such as epigenetic modulation of the genome. Environmental change in its broadest sense alters the quality of foodstuffs that all animals need for reproductive success, changes the synchrony between breeding seasons and reproductive events, perturbs gonadal and embryo development through the presence of pollutants in the environment and drives species to adapt their behaviour and phenotype. In this book we explore many aspects of reproductive science and present wide ranging and up to date accounts of the scientific and technological advances that are currently enabling reproductive science to support conservation biology.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Academic Department of Reproductive and Developmental Medicine, University of Sheffield, Jessop Wing, Tree Root Walk, Sheffield, S10 2SF, UK

    William V. Holt Ph.D.

  2. Center for Species Survival, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, 1500 Remount Road, Front Royal, VA, USA

    Janine L. Brown

  3. Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, National Zoological Park, Washington, DC, USA

    Pierre Comizzoli

Authors
  1. William V. Holt Ph.D.
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  2. Janine L. Brown
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  3. Pierre Comizzoli
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to William V. Holt Ph.D. .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Human Metabolism, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom

    William V. Holt

  2. Center for Species Survival, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Front Royal, Virginia, USA

    Janine L. Brown

  3. Center for Species Survival, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Front Royal, Virginia, USA

    Pierre Comizzoli

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Holt, W.V., Brown, J.L., Comizzoli, P. (2014). Reproductive Science as an Essential Component of Conservation Biology. In: Holt, W., Brown, J., Comizzoli, P. (eds) Reproductive Sciences in Animal Conservation. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, vol 753. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-0820-2_1

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