- Title
- Storage and retrieval of spermatozoa for the conservation of threatened reptiles: a lizard model for sperm cryopreservation
- Creator
- Campbell, Lachlan
- Relation
- University of Newcastle Research Higher Degree Thesis
- Resource Type
- thesis
- Date
- 2021
- Description
- Research Doctorate - Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
- Description
- Assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs) such as sperm cryopreservation and artificial insemination, have long been established as useful tools for gamete storage and delivery. This is due to their applicability in human reproductive health, the breeding of domestic and laboratory animals, and the agricultural industries. Increasingly, these ARTs are being suggested as tools in wildlife conservation for the management of populations and their genetic diversity, an approach which has been actively researched, and even implemented, for a number of mammalian species. However, this has not translated as successfully to other taxa, as the fundamental reproductive mode and function are far less researched and poorly understood in comparison to mammalian models. Reptiles are experiencing severe declines, with one in five species currently threatened with extinction, yet there appears to be little concentrated effort to develop appropriate ARTs for this taxa. There is thus a strong need to develop appropriate ART protocols that are applicable to reptilian models. This thesis will identify the major reproductive and cryobiological factors that influence the applicability of cryopreservation protocols, outlined in the Introduction, to the cryopreservation of male lizard gametes, using the yellow-spotted monitor, Varanus panoptes, as a model. The thesis reports the successful development of sperm cryopreservation protocols based on experimental procedures involving; cryoprotectant type / concentration, cold-shock effects, short-term storage prior to freezing, cooling rates and the feasibility of modified freezing techniques for V. panoptes. The findings and outcomes of this project will assist the future development of assisted reproductive technologies for the conservation and management of V. panoptes and other threatened reptilian species.
- Subject
- assisted reproductive technologies; sperm cryopreservation; wildlife conservation; Varanus panoptes; thesis by publication
- Identifier
- http://hdl.handle.net/1959.13/1468442
- Identifier
- uon:48051
- Rights
- Copyright 2021 Lachlan Campbell
- Language
- eng
- Full Text
- Hits: 405
- Visitors: 659
- Downloads: 299
| Thumbnail | File | Description | Size | Format | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| View Details Download | ATTACHMENT01 | Thesis | 2 MB | Adobe Acrobat PDF | View Details Download | ||
| View Details Download | ATTACHMENT02 | Abstract | 199 KB | Adobe Acrobat PDF | View Details Download |