Habitat

Demography

Ecology

Biology

Captivity

Extinction (optical mineralogy)

Selection (genetic algorithm)

Computer science

Anthropocene

Evolutionary biology

Paleontology

Captive breeding

Threatened species

Population

Sociology

Artificial intelligence

Conservation biology

Zoology

Endangered species

Biodiversity

Biological reviews/Biological reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society

The breeding of threatened species in captivity for release is a central tool in conservation biology. Given gloomy predictions for biodiversity trends in the Anthropocene, captive breeding will play an increasingly important role in preventing future extinctions. Relative to the wild, captive environments drastically alter selection pressures on animals. Phenotypic change in captive animals in response to these altered selection pressures can incur fitness costs post-release, jeopardising their potential contribution to population recovery. We explore the ways in which captive environments can hinder the expression of wild phenotypes. We also stress that the phenotypes of captive-bred animals differ from their wild counterparts in multiple ways that remain poorly understood. We propose five new research questions relating to the impact of captive phenotypes on reintroduction biology. With better use of monitoring and experimental reintroductions, a more robust evidence base should help inform adaptive management and minimise the phenotypic costs of captivity, improving the success of animal reintroductions.

The phenotypic costs of captivity