Japan's red-headed wood pigeon has enjoyed a massive rebound and avoided the dangers of inbreeding in the process, according to Kyoto University.
The bird had a population below 80 in the 2000s before its top natural predator, the feral cat, was removed from its habitat in the Ogasawara Islands.
"Many endangered species struggle to recover even with intensive conservation measures," first author Daichi Tsujimoto said. "This pigeon's exceptional rebound led us to investigate the underlying genetic reasons for its resilience, hoping to uncover what makes some endangered species more capable of recovery than others."
By studying the genomes of both captive and wild pigeons, Tsujimoto and other researchers found few harmful mutations caused by inbreeding. They posited that an older history of inbreeding had given the birds a strong genetic foundation to avoid these mutations in the future.
Feral cats are, unfortunately, a major predator for many vulnerable bird species. Cats are estimated to kill up to 4 billion birds annually. Roughly 7% of the world's threatened or near-threatened birds are prey for these cats. Cats also act as disease vectors, threatening livestock. The massive challenge has led New Zealand to host feral cat culling events.
These cats qualify as invasive animals. When a species is taken from its native environment and planted into another, there's a chance it won't encounter equivalent checks and balances that it evolved with. This can lead to a monopoly on vital resources, which pushes out native species and lowers biodiversity.
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This loss includes many ecosystem services that people depend on. One study estimates that invasive species are responsible for hundreds of billions of dollars' worth of economic costs annually. This has added up to over $1 trillion over 50 years, according to another study.
The Kyoto University biologists were impressed with the recovery of the red-headed wood pigeon in the face of these challenging odds.
"This unique evolutionary history appears to have provided these pigeons with a resilience that is not seen in other endangered populations," lead researcher Yuji Isagi said.
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