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Fameli AF, Pereira JA, Rojo Gómez J, Gómez Fernández MJ. Genetic structure and climate niche differentiation among populations of Leopardus geoffroyi. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e70223. [PMID: 39219566 PMCID: PMC11362614 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.70223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2023] [Revised: 08/01/2024] [Accepted: 08/12/2024] [Indexed: 09/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Geoffroy's cat (Leopardus geoffroyi) is a small-sized felid native to South America. Given the species' distribution covering a wide variety of habitats, and the presence of high levels of anthropization in part of its range, it is possible that genetically differentiated groups exist and that they occupy different climatic niches. We assessed patterns of contemporary genetic diversity and structure in the species across most of its range, characterizing each inferred genetic group based on ecological niche models. We genotyped 11 microsatellites for 142 samples covering most of Geoffroy's cat distribution, and investigated patterns of genetic structure and diversity, applying spatial and nonspatial Bayesian clustering methods and a spatial principal component analysis. We created ecological niche models for each genetic cluster, evaluating whether these clusters occupy different climatic spaces and display differences in the suitability of different values of the climatic variables analyzed. We identified two genetic clusters, one in the north-northeast and the other in the south-southwest of the species' distribution. These clusters showed moderate FST values between them and differences in dispersal/genetic diversity. We found isolation-by-distance patterns globally and within each cluster. We observed lower expected heterozygosity compared with other studies and a north-south gradient in allelic richness. The southern cluster showed lower genetic variability and a more restricted climatic niche suggesting that this group is more vulnerable to the effects of the current context of climate change. Individuals from the southern genetic cluster are under different pressures, likely a product of the particularly dry habitat they occupy. Climatic variables associated with habitat suitability suggest the southern cluster has affinity for the arid and semiarid conditions present in its distribution. Conservation measures should consider the genetic structure observed and differences in climatic spaces to maintain the evolutionary potential of the species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alberto F. Fameli
- División Mastozoología, Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales “Bernardino Rivadavia”Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET)Ciudad de Buenos AiresArgentina
- Department of Ecosystem Science and ManagementThe Pennsylvania State UniversityUniversity ParkPennsylvaniaUSA
| | - Javier A. Pereira
- División Mastozoología, Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales “Bernardino Rivadavia”Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET)Ciudad de Buenos AiresArgentina
| | - Julio Rojo Gómez
- División Mastozoología, Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales “Bernardino Rivadavia”Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET)Ciudad de Buenos AiresArgentina
| | - María Jimena Gómez Fernández
- División Mastozoología, Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales “Bernardino Rivadavia”Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET)Ciudad de Buenos AiresArgentina
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da Costa CF, Ramos Pereira MJ. Aerial insectivorous bats in the Brazilian-Uruguayan savanna: Modelling the occupancy through acoustic detection. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.937139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The Pampa is the least protected and one of the least sampled for bats among the Brazilian domains. This leads to significant Linnean and Wallacean shortfalls for bats in the Brazilian-Uruguayan savanna ecoregion. Here, we aimed to model the occupancy of aerial insectivorous bats in response to landscape structure at different scales, considering the influence of microclimate on bat detection. We acoustically monitored 68 locations during the spring and summer of 2019/2020, gathering data on temperature and humidity associated with each acoustic record using data loggers. We detected at least 11 species of the Molossidae and the Vespertilionidae families, of which 9 were used in the model. The response to landscape structure was species-specific: the occupancy probability of Eptesicus brasiliensis and Molossus cf. currentium increased with landscape connectivity at the 500 m scale while Eptesicus furinalis and Histiotus cf. velatus were negatively affected by landscape connectivity at the 5.0 km scale. Molossus occupancy probability responded negatively to landscape heterogeneity at the 3.0 km scale, while Promops centralis responded positively to landscape heterogeneity at the 5.0 km scale. Molossus rufus responded negatively to native vegetation cover and positively to landscape heterogeneity at the 5.0 km scale. Myotis albescens and Molossops temminckii did not respond significantly to any of the evaluated landscape metrics. Our results show that different bat species perceive the landscape differently, regardless of the guild of use of space – edge- or open-space forager. Our estimate of projected occupancy for the areas contiguous to those sampled ranged from 0.45 to 0.70 for the whole of the bat taxa, suggesting that the landscape, particularly where it still maintains its native elements, is reasonably favourable to aerial insectivores.
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Bou N, Soutullo Á, Hernández D, Mannise N, González S, Bartesaghi L, Pereira J, Merino M, Espinosa C, Trigo TC, Cosse M. Population structure and gene flow of Geoffroy’s cat ( Leopardus geoffroyi) in the Uruguayan Savanna ecoregion. J Mammal 2021. [DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyab043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Felids are among the species most threatened by habitat fragmentation resulting from land-use change. In the Uruguayan Savanna ecoregion, about 30% of natural habitats have been lost, large felids have been eradicated from most of the region, and the impact of anthropogenic threats over the smaller species that remain is unknown. To develop management strategies, it is important to enhance knowledge about species population structure and landscape connectivity, particularly when land-use change will continue and intensify in the next years. In this study, we evaluate the population structure and gene flow of Geoffroy’s cat in the Uruguayan Savanna ecoregion. We generated a matrix of 11 microsatellite loci for 70 individuals. Based on Bayesian approaches we found that within the Uruguayan Savanna, Geoffroy’s cat shows high levels of genetic variability and no population structure. However, we observed genetic differences between individuals from the Uruguayan Savanna and those from the contiguous ecoregion, the Argentinian Humid Pampa. Four first-generation migrants from Humid Pampa were identified in the Uruguayan Savanna, suggesting a stronger gene flow in the west-east direction. We detected a past bottleneck followed by a subsequent recovery in Geoffroy’s cat populations in both ecoregions. These results lay the groundwork to understand the population dynamics and conservation status of Geoffroy’s cat in the Uruguayan Savanna ecoregion, and provide baseline data to establish population monitoring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadia Bou
- Departamento de Biodiversidad y Genética, Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas Clemente Estable-Ministerio de Educación y Cultura, Avenida Italia 3318, 11600 Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Álvaro Soutullo
- Departamento de Ecología y Gestión Ambiental, Centro Universitario Regional del Este, Universidad de la República, Calle Tacuarembó esquina Bvar. Artigas, 20000 Maldonado, Uruguay
| | - Daniel Hernández
- Laboratorio de Control Ambiental, Polo Educativo Tecnológico Arrayanes, Camino de los Arrayanes km 7, 20200 Piriápolis, Uruguay
| | - Natalia Mannise
- Departamento de Biodiversidad y Genética, Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas Clemente Estable-Ministerio de Educación y Cultura, Avenida Italia 3318, 11600 Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Susana González
- Departamento de Biodiversidad y Genética, Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas Clemente Estable-Ministerio de Educación y Cultura, Avenida Italia 3318, 11600 Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Lucía Bartesaghi
- Departamento de Biodiversidad y Genética, Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas Clemente Estable-Ministerio de Educación y Cultura, Avenida Italia 3318, 11600 Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Javier Pereira
- Grupo de Genética y Ecología en Conservación y Biodiversidad, División Mastozoología, Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales “Bernardino Rivadavia”, Angel Gallardo 470, Ciudad de Buenos Aires, C1405DJR, Argentina
| | - Mariano Merino
- Centro de Bioinvestigaciones, Universidad Nacional del Noroeste de la Provincia de Buenos Aires, CICPBA, Monteagudo 2772, Pergamino, Provincia de Buenos Aires, B2700KIZ, Argentina
| | - Caroline Espinosa
- Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Av. Bento Gonçalves 9500, prédio 43435, Bairro Agronomia, 91501-970Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Tatiane C Trigo
- Setor de Mastozoologia, Museu de Ciências Naturais, Secretaria de Meio Ambiente e Infraestrutura, Rua Dr. Salvador França, 1427, CEP 90.690-000 - Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Mariana Cosse
- Departamento de Biodiversidad y Genética, Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas Clemente Estable-Ministerio de Educación y Cultura, Avenida Italia 3318, 11600 Montevideo, Uruguay
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Bou N, Cuyckens G, González E, Meneghel M. Conservation planning in Uruguay based on small felids (Leopardus spp.) as umbrella species. STUDIES ON NEOTROPICAL FAUNA AND ENVIRONMENT 2019. [DOI: 10.1080/01650521.2019.1669421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Nadia Bou
- Genética de la Conservación - Departamento de Biodiversidad y Genética, Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas Clemente Estable (IIBCE), Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - G.A.E. Cuyckens
- Instituto de Ecorregiones Andinas, (CONICET - UNJu), San Salvador de Jujuy, Argentina
- Centro de Estudios Territoriales Ambientales y Sociales (CETAS), Universidad Nacional de Jujuy (UNJu), San Salvador de Jujuy, Jujuy, Argentina
| | - E.M. González
- Sección Mastozoología, Museo Nacional de Historia Natural (MNHN), Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - M. Meneghel
- Laboratorio de Sistemática e Historia Natural de Vertebrados, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay
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