Kākāpō parrot (also known as “owl parrot” because of its owl-like facial features) is a critically endangered parrot species native to New Zealand. It is an unusual animal for it is the longest living birds in the world (may live up to 90 years of age). Weighing about 3-4 Kg, it is also the heaviest, only flightless and nocturnal parrot in the dunia.
Kākāpō inhabited New Zealand since their evolution in kutengwa lakini wao idadi ya watu declined rapidly. In 1970s, only 18 male kākāpō were known to exist. Existence of female Kākāpō were confirmed in 1980. Thanks to Intensive conservation management, Kākāpō parrots have been brought from the brink of extinction. Their number was 51 in 1995. Today, 247 kākāpō are alive1,2.
Ili kusaidia uhifadhi, mradi wa Kākāpō125+ ulianzishwa mwaka wa 2015 ili kupanga jenomu za kākāpō hai 125 pamoja na baadhi ya watu muhimu waliofariki hivi majuzi. Wazo lilikuwa kuboresha usimamizi wa kijeni wa kākāpō, hasa kushughulikia uzalishaji mdogo wa uzazi (utasa) na ugonjwa ambao ulikuwa unazuia kupona. Mkusanyiko kamili wa kiwango cha kromosomu wa jenomu ya marejeleo ya kākāpō ya mtu binafsi ulikamilika mwaka wa 2018.3.
Katika utafiti uliochapishwa mnamo 29th Agosti 2023, timu ya utafiti imeripoti mpangilio wa jenomu za takriban idadi ya watu wote wa kākāpō (kufikia 2018) kati ya 169 kākāpō, kutoka kwa watu hai 125 na sampuli 44 zilizohifadhiwa. Data ya kiwango cha idadi ya watu inahusisha uanuwai wa kijeni kati ya spishi na mpangilio maalum wa DNA unaohusishwa na sifa kama vile kuathiriwa na magonjwa, ukuaji wa vifaranga n.k. Hii inaweza kusaidia kutambua hatari za kiafya mapema ili kupanga matibabu yaliyobinafsishwa kwa ndege mmoja wa kākāpō. Mbinu hii ya kutambua sifa maalum za kijenetiki muhimu kwa maisha inaweza kutumika tena kudhibiti uhifadhi wa vitu vingine. walio hatarini aina4,5.
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Marejeo:
- Idara ya Uhifadhi. Serikali ya TZ. Urejeshaji wa Kākapo. Inapatikana kwa https://www.doc.govt.nz/our-work/kakapo-recovery/
- Makumbusho ya Historia ya Asili. Kākāpō ya kustaajabisha ya New Zealand imetolewa nyuma kutoka kwenye ukingo wa kutoweka. https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/new-zealands-quirky-kakapo-are-pulled-back-from-extinction.html
- Idara ya Uhifadhi. Serikali ya TZ. Mfuatano wa jeni wa Kākāpo125+ https://www.doc.govt.nz/our-work/kakapo-recovery/what-we-do/research-for-the-future/kakapo125-gene-sequencing/
- Chuo Kikuu cha Otago 2023. Habari - Kuokoa spishi dhidi ya kutoweka - mpangilio wa idadi ya juu wa kākāpō hutoa mafanikio katika kuelewa jeni muhimu za uhifadhi. Inapatikana kwa https://www.otago.ac.nz/news/otago0247128.html Iliwekwa mnamo 29 Agosti 2023.
- Guhlin, J., Le Lec, MF, Wold, J. et al. Jenomiki ya aina mbalimbali ya kākāpō hutoa zana ili kuharakisha uokoaji. Nat Ecol Evol (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-023-02165-y Chapisha awali kwa bioRxiv doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2022.10.22.513130
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