Was the kouprey a feral hybrid? A response to Galbreath et al. (2006)

摘要

In a recent paper, Galbreath, Mordacq & Weiler (2006) argue that the kouprey Bos sauveli - currently considered to be a valid if possibly extinct species of wild cattle - is or was most likely a feral hybrid form with banteng Bos javanicus and zebu Bos indicus ancestry. Here, we examine that conclusion and argue that it is premature and thus unhelpful, from the conservation point of view at least, to suggest that the kouprey is a feral hybrid, which would downgrade its status from that of a critically endangered (albeit possibly extinct) animal of high conservation importance (Hedges & Duckworth, 2000) to an entity of questionable conservation significance. While these genetic results are extremely interesting and warrant swift follow-up with further samples and analyses, there is a danger, if taken on their own, of the premature dismissal of the kouprey from conservation considerations.