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Review
. 2018 Apr;35(4):551-560.
doi: 10.1007/s10815-018-1136-2. Epub 2018 Feb 22.

The mutual benefits of research in wild animal species and human-assisted reproduction

P Comizzoli  1 , E E Paulson  2 , L K McGinnis  3
Affiliations
Review

The mutual benefits of research in wild animal species and human-assisted reproduction

P Comizzoli et al. J Assist Reprod Genet. 2018 Apr.

Abstract

Studying the reproductive biology of wild animal species produces knowledge beneficial to their management and conservation. However, wild species also share intriguing similarities in reproductive biology with humans, thereby offering alternative models for better understanding the etiology of infertility and developing innovative treatments. The purpose of this review is to raise awareness in different scientific communities about intriguing connections between wild animals and humans regarding infertility syndromes or improvement of fertility preservation. The objectives are to (1) highlight commonalities between wild species and human fertility, (2) demonstrate that research in wild species-assisted reproductive technologies can greatly enhance success in human reproductive medicine, and (3) recognize that human fertility preservation is highly inspiring and relevant to wild species conservation. In addition to having similar biological traits in some wild species and humans, the fact of sharing the same natural environment and the common needs for more options in fertility preservation are strong incentives to build more bridges that will eventually benefit both animal conservation and human reproductive medicine.

Keywords: Assisted reproductive technologies; Conservation; Fertility; Human; Wildlife.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Non-invasive monitoring of natural estrus and timing of artificial insemination using urine metabolites of estrogens and progestins in the giant panda
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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