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Treleven CR, Kishe MA, Silas MO, Ngatunga BP, Kuboja BN, Mgeleka SS, Taylor AL, Elsmore MAM, Healey AJE, Sauer WHH, Shaw PW, McKeown NJ. Genetic analysis of Octopus cyanea reveals high gene flow in the South-West Indian Ocean. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e11205. [PMID: 38584773 PMCID: PMC10994983 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.11205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2023] [Revised: 03/13/2024] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 04/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Octopus cyanea (Gray, 1849), abundant in the South-West Indian Ocean (SWIO), constitutes a vital resource for both subsistence and commercial fisheries. However, despite this socioeconomic importance, and recent indications of overfishing, little is known about the population structure of O. cyanea in the region. To inform sustainable management strategies, this study assessed the spatio-temporal population structure and genetic variability of O. cyanea at 20 sites in the SWIO (Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, Madagascar, Mauritius, Rodrigues, and the Seychelle Islands) by complementary analysis of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) noncoding region (NCR) sequences and microsatellite markers. MtDNA analysis revealed a shallow phylogeny across the region, with demographic tests suggesting historic population fluctuations that could be linked to glacial cycles. Contrary to expectations, NCR variation was comparable to other mtDNA regions, indicating that the NCR is not a hypervariable region. Both nuclear and mtDNA marker types revealed a lack of genetic structure compatible with high gene flow throughout the region. As adults are sedentary, this gene flow likely reflects connectivity by paralarval dispersal. All samples reported heterozygote deficits, which, given the overall absence of structure, likely reflect ephemeral larval recruitment variability. Levels of mtDNA and nuclear variability were similar at all locations and congruent with those previously reported for harvested Octopodidae, implying resilience to genetic erosion by drift, providing current stock sizes are maintained. However, as O. cyanea stocks in the SWIO represent a single, highly connected population, fisheries may benefit from additional management measures, such as rotational closures aligned with paralarval ecology and spanning geopolitical boundaries.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Mary A. Kishe
- Fisheries Research Institute (TAFIRI)Dar es SalaamTanzania
| | | | | | | | - Said S. Mgeleka
- Fisheries Research Institute (TAFIRI)Dar es SalaamTanzania
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant SciencesStockholm UniversityStockholmSweden
| | - Amy L. Taylor
- Department of Life SciencesAberystwyth UniversityAberystwythUK
| | | | | | - Warwick H. H. Sauer
- Department of Ichthyology & Fisheries ScienceRhodes UniversityMakhandaSouth Africa
| | - Paul W. Shaw
- Department of Life SciencesAberystwyth UniversityAberystwythUK
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vonHoldt BM, Stahler DR, Brzeski KE, Musiani M, Peterson R, Phillips M, Stephenson J, Laudon K, Meredith E, Vucetich JA, Leonard JA, Wayne RK. Demographic history shapes North American gray wolf genomic diversity and informs species' conservation. Mol Ecol 2024; 33:e17231. [PMID: 38054561 DOI: 10.1111/mec.17231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2023] [Revised: 11/19/2023] [Accepted: 11/21/2023] [Indexed: 12/07/2023]
Abstract
Effective population size estimates are critical information needed for evolutionary predictions and conservation decisions. This is particularly true for species with social factors that restrict access to breeding or experience repeated fluctuations in population size across generations. We investigated the genomic estimates of effective population size along with diversity, subdivision, and inbreeding from 162,109 minimally filtered and 81,595 statistically neutral and unlinked SNPs genotyped in 437 grey wolf samples from North America collected between 1986 and 2021. We found genetic structure across North America, represented by three distinct demographic histories of western, central, and eastern regions of the continent. Further, grey wolves in the northern Rocky Mountains have lower genomic diversity than wolves of the western Great Lakes and have declined over time. Effective population size estimates revealed the historical signatures of continental efforts of predator extermination, despite a quarter century of recovery efforts. We are the first to provide molecular estimates of effective population size across distinct grey wolf populations in North America, which ranged between Ne ~ 275 and 3050 since early 1980s. We provide data that inform managers regarding the status and importance of effective population size estimates for grey wolf conservation, which are on average 5.2-9.3% of census estimates for this species. We show that while grey wolves fall above minimum effective population sizes needed to avoid extinction due to inbreeding depression in the short term, they are below sizes predicted to be necessary to avoid long-term risk of extinction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bridgett M vonHoldt
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, USA
| | - Daniel R Stahler
- Yellowstone Center for Resources, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, USA
| | - Kristin E Brzeski
- College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, Michigan, USA
| | - Marco Musiani
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biologiche, Geologiche e Ambientali (BiGeA), Università di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Rolf Peterson
- College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, Michigan, USA
| | | | | | - Kent Laudon
- California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Northern Region, Redding, California, USA
| | - Erin Meredith
- California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Wildlife Forensic Laboratory, Sacramento, California, USA
| | - John A Vucetich
- College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, Michigan, USA
| | - Jennifer A Leonard
- Conservation and Evolutionary Genetics Group, Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD-CSIC), Seville, Spain
| | - Robert K Wayne
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
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3
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Griffin LL, Haigh A, Amin B, Faull J, Norman A, Ciuti S. Artificial selection in human-wildlife feeding interactions. J Anim Ecol 2022; 91:1892-1905. [PMID: 35927829 PMCID: PMC9546373 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13771] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2021] [Accepted: 06/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The artificial selection of traits in wildlife populations through hunting and fishing has been well documented. However, despite their rising popularity, the role that artificial selection may play in non‐extractive wildlife activities, for example, recreational feeding activities, remains unknown. If only a subset of a population takes advantage of human‐wildlife feeding interactions, and if this results in different fitness advantages for these individuals, then artificial selection may be at work. We have tested this hypothesis using a wild fallow deer population living at the edge of a capital city as our model population. In contrast to previous assumptions on the randomness of human‐wildlife feeding interactions, we found that a limited non‐random portion of an entire population is continuously engaging with people. We found that the willingness to beg for food from humans exists on a continuum of inter‐individual repeatable behaviour; which ranges from risk‐taking individuals repeatedly seeking and obtaining food, to shyer individuals avoiding human contact and not receiving food at all, despite all individuals having received equal exposure to human presence from birth and coexisting in the same herds together. Bolder individuals obtain significantly more food directly from humans, resulting in early interception of food offerings and preventing other individuals from obtaining supplemental feeding. Those females that beg consistently also produce significantly heavier fawns (300–500 g heavier), which may provide their offspring with a survival advantage. This indicates that these interactions result in disparity in diet and nutrition across the population, impacting associated physiology and reproduction, and may result in artificial selection of the begging behavioural trait. This is the first time that this consistent variation in behaviour and its potential link to artificial selection has been identified in a wildlife population and reveals new potential effects of human‐wildlife feeding interactions in other species across both terrestrial and aquatic habitats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura L Griffin
- Laboratory of Wildlife Ecology and Behaviour, SBES, University College Dublin, Dublin 4, Ireland
| | - Amy Haigh
- Laboratory of Wildlife Ecology and Behaviour, SBES, University College Dublin, Dublin 4, Ireland
| | - Bawan Amin
- Laboratory of Wildlife Ecology and Behaviour, SBES, University College Dublin, Dublin 4, Ireland
| | - Jordan Faull
- Laboratory of Wildlife Ecology and Behaviour, SBES, University College Dublin, Dublin 4, Ireland
| | - Alison Norman
- Laboratory of Wildlife Ecology and Behaviour, SBES, University College Dublin, Dublin 4, Ireland
| | - Simone Ciuti
- Laboratory of Wildlife Ecology and Behaviour, SBES, University College Dublin, Dublin 4, Ireland
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Genomic basis of fishing-associated selection varies with population density. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2020833118. [PMID: 34903645 PMCID: PMC8713780 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2020833118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Fisheries-associated selection is recognized as one of the strongest potential human drivers of contemporary evolution in natural populations. The results of this study show that while simulated commercial fishing techniques consistently remove fish with traits associated with growth, metabolism, and social behavior, the specific genes under fishing selection differ depending on the density of the targeted population. This finding suggests that different fish populations of varying sizes will respond differently to fishing selection at the genetic level. Furthermore, as a population is fished over time, the genes under selection may change as the population diminishes. This could have repercussions on population resilience. This study highlights the importance of selection but also environmental and density effects on harvested fish populations. Fisheries induce one of the strongest anthropogenic selective pressures on natural populations, but the genetic effects of fishing remain unclear. Crucially, we lack knowledge of how capture-associated selection and its interaction with reductions in population density caused by fishing can potentially shift which genes are under selection. Using experimental fish reared at two densities and repeatedly harvested by simulated trawling, we show consistent phenotypic selection on growth, metabolism, and social behavior regardless of density. However, the specific genes under selection—mainly related to brain function and neurogenesis—varied with the population density. This interaction between direct fishing selection and density could fundamentally alter the genomic responses to harvest. The evolutionary consequences of fishing are therefore likely context dependent, possibly varying as exploited populations decline. These results highlight the need to consider environmental factors when predicting effects of human-induced selection and evolution.
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Mayer AE, McGreevy TJ, Sullivan ME, Brown C, Husband TP, Gerber BD. Population Genetics and Spatial Ecology of Bobcats (Lynx rufus) in a Landscape with a High Density of Humans in New England. Northeast Nat (Steuben) 2021. [DOI: 10.1656/045.028.0401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Amy E. Mayer
- Department of Natural Resources Science, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI 02881
| | - Thomas J. McGreevy
- Department of Natural Resources Science, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI 02881
| | - Mary E. Sullivan
- USDA Agricultural Research Service, National Cold Water Marine Aquaculture Center, Kingston, RI 02881
| | - Charles Brown
- Division of Fish and Wildlife, Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management, West Kingston, RI 02892
| | - Thomas P. Husband
- Department of Natural Resources Science, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI 02881
| | - Brian D. Gerber
- Department of Natural Resources Science, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI 02881
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Crespel A, Miller T, Rácz A, Parsons K, Lindström J, Killen S. Density influences the heritability and genetic correlations of fish behaviour under trawling-associated selection. Evol Appl 2021; 14:2527-2540. [PMID: 34745341 PMCID: PMC8549612 DOI: 10.1111/eva.13279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2020] [Revised: 06/24/2021] [Accepted: 06/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Fishing-associated selection is one of the most important human-induced evolutionary pressures for natural populations. However, it is unclear whether fishing leads to heritable phenotypic changes in the targeted populations, as the heritability and genetic correlations of traits potentially under selection have received little attention. In addition, phenotypic changes could arise from fishing-associated environmental effects, such as reductions in population density. Using fish reared at baseline and reduced group density and repeatedly harvested by simulated trawling, we show that trawling can induce direct selection on fish social behaviour. As sociability has significant heritability and is also genetically correlated with activity and exploration, trawling has the potential to induce both direct selection and indirect selection on a variety of fish behaviours, potentially leading to evolution over time. However, while trawling selection was consistent between density conditions, the heritability and genetic correlations of behaviours changed according to the population density. Fishing-associated environmental effects can thus modify the evolutionary potential of fish behaviour, revealing the need to use a more integrative approach to address the evolutionary consequences of fishing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amélie Crespel
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine University of Glasgow Glasgow UK
- Department of Biology University of Turku Turku Finland
| | - Toby Miller
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine University of Glasgow Glasgow UK
| | - Anita Rácz
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine University of Glasgow Glasgow UK
- Department of Genetics Eötvös Loránd University Budapest Hungary
| | - Kevin Parsons
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine University of Glasgow Glasgow UK
| | - Jan Lindström
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine University of Glasgow Glasgow UK
| | - Shaun Killen
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine University of Glasgow Glasgow UK
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Terada C, Yahara T, Kuroiwa A, Saitoh T. Spatial Genetic Structure of the Sika Deer (Cervus nippon) Population on Yakushima: Significant Genetic Differentiation on a Small Island. MAMMAL STUDY 2021. [DOI: 10.3106/ms2020-0088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Chisato Terada
- Field Science Center, Hokkaido University, Hirai 559, Kozagawa, Wakayama 649-4563, Japan
| | - Tetsukazu Yahara
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, West 1-C-915, Kyushu University, Moto-oka 744, Fukuoka 819-0395, Japan
| | - Arika Kuroiwa
- Graduate School of Systems Life Sciences, West 1-C-804, Kyushu University, Moto-oka 744, Fukuoka 819-0395, Japan
| | - Takashi Saitoh
- Field Science Center, Hokkaido University, North 11, West 10, Sapporo 060-0811, Japan
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Pérez-González J, Carranza J, Martínez R, Benítez-Medina JM. Host Genetic Diversity and Infectious Diseases. Focus on Wild Boar, Red Deer and Tuberculosis. Animals (Basel) 2021; 11:1630. [PMID: 34072907 PMCID: PMC8229303 DOI: 10.3390/ani11061630] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2021] [Revised: 05/19/2021] [Accepted: 05/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Host genetic diversity tends to limit disease spread in nature and buffers populations against epidemics. Genetic diversity in wildlife is expected to receive increasing attention in contexts related to disease transmission and human health. Ungulates such as wild boar (Sus scrofa) and red deer (Cervus elaphus) are important zoonotic hosts that can be precursors to disease emergence and spread in humans. Tuberculosis is a zoonotic disease with relevant consequences and can present high prevalence in wild boar and red deer populations. Here, we review studies on the genetic diversity of ungulates and determine to what extent these studies consider its importance on the spread of disease. This assessment also focused on wild boar, red deer, and tuberculosis. We found a disconnection between studies treating genetic diversity and those dealing with infectious diseases. Contrarily, genetic diversity studies in ungulates are mainly concerned with conservation. Despite the existing disconnection between studies on genetic diversity and studies on disease emergence and spread, the knowledge gathered in each discipline can be applied to the other. The bidirectional applications are illustrated in wild boar and red deer populations from Spain, where TB is an important threat for wildlife, livestock, and humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Javier Pérez-González
- Biology and Ethology Unit, Veterinary Faculty, University of Extremadura, 10003 Cáceres, Spain
| | - Juan Carranza
- Wildlife Research Unit (UIRCP), University of Córdoba, 14071 Córdoba, Spain;
| | - Remigio Martínez
- Infectious Pathology Unit, Veterinary Faculty, University of Extremadura, 10003 Cáceres, Spain; (R.M.); (J.M.B.-M.)
| | - José Manuel Benítez-Medina
- Infectious Pathology Unit, Veterinary Faculty, University of Extremadura, 10003 Cáceres, Spain; (R.M.); (J.M.B.-M.)
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Buzan E, Gerič U, Potušek S, Flajšman K, Pokorny B. First Insights into the Population Genetic Structure and Heterozygosity-Fitness Relationship in Roe Deer Inhabiting the Area between the Alps and Dinaric Mountains. Animals (Basel) 2020; 10:ani10122276. [PMID: 33276566 PMCID: PMC7761463 DOI: 10.3390/ani10122276] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2020] [Revised: 11/25/2020] [Accepted: 11/28/2020] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary We determined the genetic variability, population structure, and influence of genetic factors on two parameters of fitness (body mass and reproductive ability) in roe deer females in the contact zone between the Alps and the Dinaric Mountains by utilizing microsatellite variations in 214 individuals collected throughout Slovenia, Central Europe. Spatial differences in the genetic diversity of the species can be explained by population history, different approaches to population management and/or different connectivity among subpopulations. The population genetic structure confirms the high side fidelity of roe deer, but also shows the existence of admixtures of genes among different areas. We found evidence that genetic factors, including individual heterozygosity, influence body mass, confirming that heterozygosity positively affects fitness in wild populations. However, as the effect of genetic factors is usually masked or overruled by the influence of environmental factors, i.e., availability of resources, data on the joint influence of external and intrinsic factors on fitness and other life-history traits are needed to better predict the population dynamics of targeted species, which would enable sustainable, science-based population management. Abstract Across its pan-European distribution, the European roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) faces a wide diversity of environmental and climatic conditions; therefore, several factors, including intrinsic ones, shape life-history traits and cause significant variability in parameters of fitness. By utilizing microsatellite variations in 214 roe deer females collected throughout Slovenia, Central Europe, we determined the genetic variability and population structure of this species in the contact zone between the Alps and the Dinaric Mountains, i.e., over a wider area where data on the genetic outlook for this—the most common and widespread European wild ungulate—have been completely lacking so far. Throughout the country, we found moderate microsatellite diversity (Ho = 0.57–0.65) in relation to the observed heterozygosity reported for other roe deer populations in Europe. Spatial differences in genetic diversity of the species in Slovenia can be explained by population history linked to varying approaches to population management and/or different connectivity among subpopulations in topographically differentiated habitats. A country-wide pattern of genetic structure is clearly defined by separation of the populations into three groups present in the following regions: (i) Southern sub-Mediterranean and Karst regions, (ii) Central Slovenia, and (iii) the Sub-Pannonian Region in the north-east. This is also confirmed by evidencing a moderate isolation by distance, especially by separating southern samples (coastal Slovenia) from others. Levels of genetic differentiation vary among populations, which can be explained by the effect of natural geographical barriers or the presence of anthropogenic barriers such as urban areas and highways. In the subset of 172 yearling females, we analyzed the influence of genetic advantage (individual heterozygosity) and other genetic data (reflected in the structuring of the population) on body mass and reproductive ability. We found evidence that genetic factors influence the body mass of roe deer yearling females (explaining altogether 18.8% of body mass variance), and the level of individual heterozygosity alone also positively affected body mass, which is in accordance with the theory that heterozygosity is commonly positively correlated with fitness in wild populations. However, we did not uncover any effect of heterozygosity on two parameters of reproductive ability (fertility and potential reproductive outcome), indicating that several other factors, especially environmental ones, have a predominant effect on the parameters of fitness in roe deer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Buzan
- Faculty of Mathematics, Natural Sciences and Information Technologies, University of Primorska, Glagoljaška 8, 6000 Koper, Slovenia; (E.B.); (U.G.); (S.P.)
- Environmental Protection College, Trg mladosti 7, 3320 Velenje, Slovenia
| | - Urška Gerič
- Faculty of Mathematics, Natural Sciences and Information Technologies, University of Primorska, Glagoljaška 8, 6000 Koper, Slovenia; (E.B.); (U.G.); (S.P.)
| | - Sandra Potušek
- Faculty of Mathematics, Natural Sciences and Information Technologies, University of Primorska, Glagoljaška 8, 6000 Koper, Slovenia; (E.B.); (U.G.); (S.P.)
| | - Katarina Flajšman
- Slovenian Forestry Institute, Večna pot 2, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia;
| | - Boštjan Pokorny
- Environmental Protection College, Trg mladosti 7, 3320 Velenje, Slovenia
- Slovenian Forestry Institute, Večna pot 2, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia;
- Correspondence:
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10
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Muboko N, Dube P, Mashapa C, Ngosi E, Gandiwa E. Trophy quality trends and hunting effort of selected big game in Chewore South Safari Area, northern Zimbabwe, 2009-2012. Trop Ecol 2020; 62:52-60. [PMID: 33250566 PMCID: PMC7682953 DOI: 10.1007/s42965-020-00123-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2019] [Revised: 09/18/2020] [Accepted: 11/05/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
This study was based on a temporal analysis of trophy quality trends and hunting effort in Chewore South Safari Area (CSSA), Zimbabwe, for the period 2009–2012. We selected four of the big five species, namely; buffalo (Syncerus caffer), elephant (Loxodonta africana), the leopard (Panthera pardus) and lion (Panthera leo) for analysis. Existing database of 188 trophies from 2009 to 2011 was reviewed and recorded using the Safari Club International (SCI) scoring system. Further, 50 trophies for 2012 were measured and recorded based on the SCI scoring system. Local ecological knowledge on trophy quality and hunting effort in CSSA was obtained through semi-structured questionnaires from 22 conveniently selected professional hunters in 2012. The results indicated no significant change in trophy quality trends of buffalo, leopard and lion (p > 0.05) over the study period. In contrast, there was a significant decline in elephant trophy quality trend over the same period (p < 0.05). The results showed no significant change in hunting effort over the study period for all the four study species (p > 0.05). Furthermore, seventy-two percent (72%, n = 13) of the professional hunters confirmed that elephant population was declining in CSSA and this was likely due to poaching. Professional hunters perceived trophy hunting as a source of financial capital generation for wildlife conservation (61%, n = 11), as well as positively contributing to the local economy (56%, n = 10). It was concluded that hunting has limited negative impact on species trophy quality trends when a sustainable hunting system is consistently followed in CSSA. CSSA management need to continuously monitor trophy hunting, animal populations and employ adaptive management approach to quota setting and species conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Never Muboko
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, Chinhoyi University of Technology, Private Bag 7724, Chinhoyi, Zimbabwe
| | - Pardon Dube
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, Chinhoyi University of Technology, Private Bag 7724, Chinhoyi, Zimbabwe
| | - Clayton Mashapa
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, Chinhoyi University of Technology, Private Bag 7724, Chinhoyi, Zimbabwe
| | - Edmore Ngosi
- Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority, c/o P. Bag 7713, Mkanga Field Station, Chinhoyi, Zimbabwe
| | - Edson Gandiwa
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, Chinhoyi University of Technology, Private Bag 7724, Chinhoyi, Zimbabwe
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11
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Jamieson A, Anderson SJ, Fuller J, Côté SD, Northrup JM, Shafer ABA. Heritability Estimates of Antler and Body Traits in White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) From Genomic-Relatedness Matrices. J Hered 2020; 111:429-435. [PMID: 32692835 DOI: 10.1093/jhered/esaa023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2020] [Accepted: 07/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Estimating heritability (h2) is required to predict the response to selection and is useful in species that are managed or farmed using trait information. Estimating h2 in free-ranging populations is challenging due to the need for pedigrees; genomic-relatedness matrices (GRMs) circumvent this need and can be implemented in nearly any system where phenotypic and genome-wide single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) data are available. We estimated the heritability of 5 body and 3 antler traits in a free-ranging population of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) on Anticosti Island, Quebec, Canada. We generated classic and robust GRMs from >10,000 SNPs: hind foot length, dressed body mass, and peroneus muscle mass had high h2 values of 0.62, 0.44, and 0.55, respectively. Heritability in male-only antler features ranged from 0.07 to 0.33. We explored the influence of filtering by minor allele frequency and data completion on h2: GRMs derived from fewer SNPs had reduced h2 estimates and the relatedness coefficients significantly deviated from those generated with more SNPs. As a corollary, we discussed limitations to the application of GRMs in the wild, notably how skewed GRMs, specifically many unrelated individuals, can increase variance around h2 estimates. This is the first study to estimate h2 on a free-ranging population of white-tailed deer and should be informative for breeding designs and management as these traits could respond to selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aidan Jamieson
- Department of Biology, Trent University, Peterborough, ON, Canada
| | - Spencer J Anderson
- Environmental and Life Sciences Graduate Program, Trent University, Peterborough, ON, Canada
| | - Jérémie Fuller
- Département de biologie, Centre d'études nordiques and NSERC Industrial Research Chair in Integrated Resource Management of Anticosti Island, Université Laval, Québec City, QC, Canada
| | - Steeve D Côté
- Département de biologie, Centre d'études nordiques and NSERC Industrial Research Chair in Integrated Resource Management of Anticosti Island, Université Laval, Québec City, QC, Canada
| | - Joseph M Northrup
- Environmental and Life Sciences Graduate Program, Trent University, Peterborough, ON, Canada.,Wildlife Research and Monitoring Section, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, Trent University, Peterborough, ON, Canada
| | - Aaron B A Shafer
- Environmental and Life Sciences Graduate Program, Trent University, Peterborough, ON, Canada.,Forensics Program Trent University, Peterborough, ON, Canada
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LaSharr TN, Long RA, Heffelfinger JR, Bleich VC, Krausman PR, Bowyer RT, Shannon JM, Klaver RW, Brewer CE, Cox M, Holland AA, Hubbs A, Lehman CP, Muir JD, Sterling B, Monteith KL. Hunting and mountain sheep: Do current harvest practices affect horn growth? Evol Appl 2019; 12:1823-1836. [PMID: 31548860 PMCID: PMC6752155 DOI: 10.1111/eva.12841] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2019] [Revised: 07/04/2019] [Accepted: 07/06/2019] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The influence of human harvest on evolution of secondary sexual characteristics has implications for sustainable management of wildlife populations. The phenotypic consequences of selectively removing males with large horns or antlers from ungulate populations have been a topic of heightened concern in recent years. Harvest can affect size of horn-like structures in two ways: (a) shifting age structure toward younger age classes, which can reduce the mean size of horn-like structures, or (b) selecting against genes that produce large, fast-growing males. We evaluated effects of age, climatic and forage conditions, and metrics of harvest on horn size and growth of mountain sheep (Ovis canadensis ssp.) in 72 hunt areas across North America from 1981 to 2016. In 50% of hunt areas, changes in mean horn size during the study period were related to changes in age structure of harvested sheep. Environmental conditions explained directional changes in horn growth in 28% of hunt areas, 7% of which did not exhibit change before accounting for effects of the environment. After accounting for age and environment, horn size of mountain sheep was stable or increasing in the majority (~78%) of hunt areas. Age-specific horn size declined in 44% of hunt areas where harvest was regulated solely by morphological criteria, which supports the notion that harvest practices that are simultaneously selective and intensive might lead to changes in horn growth. Nevertheless, phenotypic consequences are not a foregone conclusion in the face of selective harvest; over half of the hunt areas with highly selective and intensive harvest did not exhibit age-specific declines in horn size. Our results demonstrate that while harvest regimes are an important consideration, horn growth of harvested male mountain sheep has remained largely stable, indicating that changes in horn growth patterns are an unlikely consequence of harvest across most of North America.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tayler N. LaSharr
- Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Zoology and PhysiologyUniversity of WyomingLaramieWYUSA
| | - Ryan A. Long
- Department of Fish and Wildlife SciencesUniversity of IdahoMoscowIDUSA
| | | | - Vernon C. Bleich
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental ScienceUniversity of Nevada RenoRenoNVUSA
| | - Paul R. Krausman
- School of Natural Resources and the EnvironmentUniversity of ArizonaTucsonAZUSA
| | - R. Terry Bowyer
- Institute of Arctic BiologyUniversity of Alaska FairbanksFairbanksAKUSA
| | | | - Robert W. Klaver
- US Geological Survey, Iowa Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Natural Resource Ecology and ManagementIowa State UniversityAmesIAUSA
| | - Clay E. Brewer
- Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies—Wild Sheep Working GroupTexas Parks and Wildlife DepartmentRochelleTXUSA
| | - Mike Cox
- Nevada Department of WildlifeRenoNVUSA
| | | | - Anne Hubbs
- Alberta Environment and ParksRocky Mountain HouseABCanada
| | | | | | | | - Kevin L. Monteith
- Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources, Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Zoology and PhysiologyUniversity of WyomingLaramieWYUSA
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Shepherd CR, Janssen J, Noseworthy J. A case for listing the Union Island Gecko Gonatodes daudini in the Appendices of CITES. Glob Ecol Conserv 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2019.e00549] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
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14
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Heffelfinger JR. Obstacles to evolutionary consequences of ungulate trophy hunting: Reply to Kardos et al. J Wildl Manage 2018. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.21487] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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15
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Kardos M, Luikart G, Allendorf FW. Predicting the evolutionary effects of hunting requires an understanding of genetics. J Wildl Manage 2018. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.21475] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Marty Kardos
- University of Montana, Division of Biological Sciences; Flathead Lake Biological Station; 32125 Biostation Lane Polson MT 59860 USA
| | - Gordon Luikart
- University of Montana, Division of Biological Sciences; Flathead Lake Biological Station; 32125 Biostation Lane Polson MT 59860 USA
| | - Fred W. Allendorf
- University of Montana; Division of Biological Sciences; 32 Campus Drive Missoula MT 59812 USA
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16
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Boyce MS, Krausman PR. Special section: Controversies in mountain sheep management. J Wildl Manage 2017. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.21400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
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17
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Monteith KL, Long RA, Stephenson TR, Bleich VC, Bowyer RT, Lasharr TN. Horn size and nutrition in mountain sheep: Can ewe handle the truth? J Wildl Manage 2017. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.21338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kevin L. Monteith
- Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources, Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research UnitDepartment of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming 804 East Fremont St. Laramie WY 82072 USA
| | - Ryan A. Long
- Department of Fish and Wildlife SciencesUniversity of Idaho 875 Perimeter Dr., MS 1142 Moscow ID 83844 USA
| | - Thomas R. Stephenson
- Sierra Nevada Bighorn Sheep Recovery ProgramCalifornia Department of Fish and Wildlife 787 North Main Street, Suite 220 Bishop CA 93514 USA
| | - Vernon C. Bleich
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental ScienceUniversity of Nevada Reno Mail Stop 186, 1664 North Virginia Street Reno NV 89557 USA
| | - R. Terry Bowyer
- Institute of Arctic BiologyUniversity of Alaska Fairbanks Box 757000 Fairbanks AK 99775 USA
| | - Tayler N. Lasharr
- Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Zoology and PhysiologyUniversity of Wyoming Dept. 3166, 1000 E. University Ave Laramie WY 82071 USA
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18
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Heffelfinger JR. Inefficiency of evolutionarily relevant selection in ungulate trophy hunting. J Wildl Manage 2017. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.21337] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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19
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Rick JA, Moen RA, Erb JD, Strasburg JL. Population structure and gene flow in a newly harvested gray wolf (Canis lupus) population. CONSERV GENET 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s10592-017-0961-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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20
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Abstract
Genetic polymorphism varies among species and within genomes, and has important implications for the evolution and conservation of species. The determinants of this variation have been poorly understood, but population genomic data from a wide range of organisms now make it possible to delineate the underlying evolutionary processes, notably how variation in the effective population size (Ne) governs genetic diversity. Comparative population genomics is on its way to providing a solution to 'Lewontin's paradox' - the discrepancy between the many orders of magnitude of variation in population size and the much narrower distribution of diversity levels. It seems that linked selection plays an important part both in the overall genetic diversity of a species and in the variation in diversity within the genome. Genetic diversity also seems to be predictable from the life history of a species.
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21
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Chebib J, Renaut S, Bernatchez L, Rogers SM. Genetic structure and within-generation genome scan analysis of fisheries-induced evolution in a Lake Whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis) population. CONSERV GENET 2015. [DOI: 10.1007/s10592-015-0797-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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22
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Williams JG, Zabel RW, Waples RS, Hutchings JA, Connor WP. Potential for anthropogenic disturbances to influence evolutionary change in the life history of a threatened salmonid. Evol Appl 2015; 1:271-85. [PMID: 25567631 PMCID: PMC3352435 DOI: 10.1111/j.1752-4571.2008.00027.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2007] [Accepted: 01/29/2008] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Although evolutionary change within most species is thought to occur slowly, recent studies have identified cases where evolutionary change has apparently occurred over a few generations. Anthropogenically altered environments appear particularly open to rapid evolutionary change over comparatively short time scales. Here, we consider a Pacific salmon population that may have experienced life-history evolution, in response to habitat alteration, within a few generations. Historically, juvenile fall Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) from the Snake River migrated as subyearlings to the ocean. With changed riverine conditions that resulted from hydropower dam construction, some juveniles now migrate as yearlings, but more interestingly, the yearling migration tactic has made a large contribution to adult returns over the last decade. Optimal life-history models suggest that yearling juvenile migrants currently have a higher fitness than subyearling migrants. Although phenotypic plasticity likely accounts for some of the change in migration tactics, we suggest that evolution also plays a significant role. Evolutionary change prompted by anthropogenic alterations to the environment has general implications for the recovery of endangered species. The case study we present herein illustrates the importance of integrating evolutionary considerations into conservation planning for species at risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- John G Williams
- National Marine Fisheries Service, Northwest Fisheries Science Center Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Richard W Zabel
- National Marine Fisheries Service, Northwest Fisheries Science Center Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Robin S Waples
- National Marine Fisheries Service, Northwest Fisheries Science Center Seattle, WA, USA
| | | | - William P Connor
- Idaho Fisheries Resource Office, United States Fish and Wildlife Service Ahsahka, ID, USA
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Thériault V, Dunlop ES, Dieckmann U, Bernatchez L, Dodson JJ. The impact of fishing-induced mortality on the evolution of alternative life-history tactics in brook charr. Evol Appl 2015; 1:409-23. [PMID: 25567640 PMCID: PMC3352438 DOI: 10.1111/j.1752-4571.2008.00022.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2007] [Accepted: 01/28/2008] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Although contemporary trends indicative of evolutionary change have been detected in the life-history traits of exploited populations, it is not known to what extent fishing influences the evolution of alternative life-history tactics in migratory species such as salmonids. Here, we build a model to predict the evolution of anadromy and residency in an exploited population of brook charr, Salvelinus fontinalis. Our model allows for both phenotypic plasticity and genetic change in the age and size at migration by including migration reaction norms. Using this model, we predict that fishing of anadromous individuals over the course of 100 years causes evolution in the migration reaction norm, resulting in a decrease in average probabilities of migration with increasing harvest rate. Moreover, we show that differences in natural mortalities in freshwater greatly influence the magnitude and rate of evolutionary change. The fishing-induced changes in migration predicted by our model alter population abundances and reproductive output and should be accounted for in the sustainable management of salmonids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Véronique Thériault
- Département de Biologie, Centre Interuniversitaire de Recherche sur le Saumon Atlantique (CIRSA), Université Laval, Cité Universitaire Québec, QC, Canada
| | - Erin S Dunlop
- Institute of Marine Research Bergen, Norway ; Department of Biology, University of Bergen Bergen, Norway
| | - Ulf Dieckmann
- Evolution and Ecology Program, International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis Laxenburg, Austria
| | - Louis Bernatchez
- Département de Biologie, Centre Interuniversitaire de Recherche sur le Saumon Atlantique (CIRSA), Université Laval, Cité Universitaire Québec, QC, Canada
| | - Julian J Dodson
- Département de Biologie, Centre Interuniversitaire de Recherche sur le Saumon Atlantique (CIRSA), Université Laval, Cité Universitaire Québec, QC, Canada
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Hutchings JA. Avoidance of fisheries-induced evolution: management implications for catch selectivity and limit reference points. Evol Appl 2015; 2:324-34. [PMID: 25567884 PMCID: PMC3352487 DOI: 10.1111/j.1752-4571.2009.00085.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2009] [Accepted: 05/21/2009] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
I examined how the fitness (r) associated with early- and late-maturing genotypes varies with fishing mortality (F) and age-/size-specific probability of capture. Life-history data on Newfoundland's northern Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) allowed for the estimation of r for individuals maturing at 4 and 7 year in the absence of fishing. Catch selectivity data associated with four types of fishing gear (trap, gillnet, handline, otter trawl) were then incorporated to examine how r varied with gear type and with F. The resulting fitness functions were then used to estimate the F above which selection would favour early (4 year) rather than delayed (7 year) maturity. This evolutionarily-sensitive threshold, F evol, identifies a limit reference point somewhat similar to those used to define overfishing (e.g., F msy, F 0.1). Over-exploitation of northern cod resulted in fishing mortalities considerably greater than those required to effect evolutionary change. Selection for early maturity is reduced by the dome-shaped selectivities characteristic of fixed gears such as handlines (the greater the leptokurtosis, the lower the probability of a selection response) and enhanced by the knife-edged selectivities of bottom trawls. Strategies to minimize genetic change are consistent with traditional management objectives (e.g., yield maximization, population increase). Compliance with harvest control rules guided by evolutionarily-sensitive limit reference points, which may be achieved by adherence to traditional reference points such as F msy and F 0.1, should be sufficient to minimize the probability of fisheries-induced evolution for commercially exploited species.
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25
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Zhu Y, Cheng Q, Rogers SM. Genetic structure of Scomber japonicus (Perciformes: Scombridae) along the coast of China revealed by complete mitochondrial cytochrome b sequences. Mitochondrial DNA A DNA Mapp Seq Anal 2014; 27:3828-3836. [PMID: 25230701 DOI: 10.3109/19401736.2014.958671] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
The phylogeography history and contemporary agents of selection for many marine fisheries, characterized by widespread species distributions in the face of significant harvest, remains poorly understood. Chub mackerel (Scomber japonicus) are a widespread species in the Indo-Pacific and represent one of the top five commercially fished species in the world, yet their phylogeographic history remains unknown. We characterized the genetic diversity, structure and demographic history of S. japonicus throughout adjacent Chinese seas (from the Yellow Sea to the South China Sea). Using 220 individuals from 11 sites, we inferred 55 distinct haplotypes from complete mitochondrial cytochrome b gene sequences. Haplotype diversity ranged from 0.505 to 0.967 and nucleotide diversity ranged from 0.00056 to 0.01042. Genetic differentiation (Fst) statistics suggested that the highest level of differentiation existed between the SanYa and SanSha localities (Fst = 0.86977), while the lowest levels of differentiation occurred between the DongGang and ShiDao localities (Fst ∼ 0). Kimura's genetic distances ranged from 0.001 to 0.011 within and from 0.001 to 0.018 between populations. Hierarchical analysis of molecular variance, Neighbor-joining and median-joining network analyses identified significant phylogeographic structure with two localities (SanYa, Hainan of the South China Sea and LianYunGang, Jiangsu of the East China Sea) explaining most of the genetic variation observed, while the remaining populations were poorly differentiated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuxia Zhu
- a Key Laboratory of East China Sea and Oceanic Fishery Resources Exploitation and Utilization , Ministry of Agriculture, East China Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences , Shanghai , China and
| | - Qiqun Cheng
- a Key Laboratory of East China Sea and Oceanic Fishery Resources Exploitation and Utilization , Ministry of Agriculture, East China Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences , Shanghai , China and
| | - Sean M Rogers
- b Department of Biological Sciences , University of Calgary , Calgary , Alberta , Canada
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26
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Aycrigg JL, Garton EO. Linking metapopulation structure to elk population management in Idaho: a genetic approach. J Mammal 2014. [DOI: 10.1644/12-mamm-a-300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
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27
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Assessing the impact of hunting pressure on population structure of Guinea baboons (Papio papio) in Guinea-Bissau. CONSERV GENET 2014. [DOI: 10.1007/s10592-014-0621-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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28
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Roffler GH, Talbot SL, Luikart G, Sage GK, Pilgrim KL, Adams LG, Schwartz MK. Lack of sex-biased dispersal promotes fine-scale genetic structure in alpine ungulates. CONSERV GENET 2014. [DOI: 10.1007/s10592-014-0583-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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29
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Nuzzo MC, Traill LW. What 50 years of trophy records illustrate for hunted African elephant and bovid populations. Afr J Ecol 2013. [DOI: 10.1111/aje.12104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Marcella C. Nuzzo
- Division of Biology; Imperial College London; Silwood Park Berkshire SL5 7PY UK
| | - Lochran W. Traill
- Division of Biology; Imperial College London; Silwood Park Berkshire SL5 7PY UK
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30
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Monteith KL, Long RA, Bleich VC, Heffelfinger JR, Krausman PR, Bowyer RT. Effects of harvest, culture, and climate on trends in size of horn-like structures in trophy ungulates. WILDLIFE MONOGRAPHS 2013. [DOI: 10.1002/wmon.1007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
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Vander Wal E, Garant D, Festa-Bianchet M, Pelletier F. Evolutionary rescue in vertebrates: evidence, applications and uncertainty. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2013; 368:20120090. [PMID: 23209171 PMCID: PMC3538456 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2012.0090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 93] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The current rapid rate of human-driven environmental change presents wild populations with novel conditions and stresses. Theory and experimental evidence for evolutionary rescue present a promising case for species facing environmental change persisting via adaptation. Here, we assess the potential for evolutionary rescue in wild vertebrates. Available information on evolutionary rescue was rare and restricted to abundant and highly fecund species that faced severe intentional anthropogenic selective pressures. However, examples from adaptive tracking in common species and genetic rescues in species of conservation concern provide convincing evidence in favour of the mechanisms of evolutionary rescue. We conclude that low population size, long generation times and limited genetic variability will result in evolutionary rescue occurring rarely for endangered species without intervention. Owing to the risks presented by current environmental change and the possibility of evolutionary rescue in nature, we suggest means to study evolutionary rescue by mapping genotype → phenotype → demography → fitness relationships, and priorities for applying evolutionary rescue to wild populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Vander Wal
- Département de biologie, Université de Sherbrooke, 2500 boul. de l'Université, Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada.
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Baker KH, Rus Hoelzel A. Evolution of population genetic structure of the British roe deer by natural and anthropogenic processes (Capreolus capreolus). Ecol Evol 2012; 3:89-102. [PMID: 23403955 PMCID: PMC3568846 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.430] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2012] [Revised: 10/17/2012] [Accepted: 10/21/2012] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Human influence typically impacts on natural populations of conservation interest. These interactions are varied and sometimes complex, and may be negative and unintended or associated with conservation and management strategy. Understanding the details of how these interactions influence and are influenced by natural evolutionary processes is essential to the development of effective conservation strategies. In this study, we investigate a species in Britain that has experienced both negative impact through overhunting in historical times and management efforts through culls and translocations. At the same time, there are regional populations that have been less affected by human influence. We use mtDNA and nuclear microsatellite DNA markers to investigate patterns of connectivity and diversity and find multiple insular populations in Britain that probably evolved within the Holocene (when the habitat was free of ice). We identify three concurrent processes. First, surviving indigenous populations show highly provincial patterns of philopatry, maintaining and generating population structure on a small geographic scale. Second, founder populations into habitat extirpated of native populations have expanded, but remained largely insular. Third, introductions into established populations generate some admixture. We discuss the implications for the evolution of diversity of the integration of natural processes with anthropogenic influences on population size and distribution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karis H Baker
- School of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Durham University South Road, Durham, DH1 3LE, UK
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Chiba S, Yoshino K, Kanaiwa M, Kawajiri T, Goshima S. Maladaptive sex ratio adjustment by a sex-changing shrimp in selective-fishing environments. J Anim Ecol 2012; 82:632-41. [PMID: 23163795 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2012] [Accepted: 09/09/2012] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
1. Selective harvesting is acknowledged as a serious concern in efforts to conserve wild animal populations. In fisheries, most studies have focused on gradual and directional changes in the life-history traits of target species. While such changes represent the ultimate response of harvested animals, it is also well known that the life history of target species plastically alters with harvesting. However, research on the adaptive significance of these types of condition-dependent changes has been limited. 2. We explored the adaptive significance of annual changes in the age at sex-change of the protandrous (male-first) hermaphroditic shrimp and examined how selective harvesting affects life-history variation, by conducting field observations across 13 years and a controlled laboratory experiment. In addition, we considered whether plastic responses by the shrimp would be favourable, negligible or negative with respect to the conservation of fishery resources. 3. The age at sex-change and the population structure of the shrimp fluctuated between years during the study period. The results of the field observations and laboratory experiment both indicated that the shrimp could plastically change the timing of sex-change in accordance with the age structure of the population. These findings provide the first concrete evidence of adult sex ratio adjustment by pandalid shrimp, a group that has been treated as a model in the sex allocation theory. 4. The sex ratio adjustment by the shrimp did not always seem to be sufficient, however, as the supplement of females is restricted by their annual somatic growth rate. In addition, adjusted sex ratios are further skewed by the unintentional female-selectivity of fishing activity prior to the breeding season, indicating that the occurrence of males that have postponed sex-change causes sex ratio adjustment to become unfavourable. 5. We conclude that the plastic responses of harvested animals in selective fishing environments must be considered in efforts to conserve wild animal resources, because such responses can become maladaptive.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susumu Chiba
- Department of Aquatic Bioscience, Tokyo University of Agriculture, Abashiri, Hokkaido, 099-2493, Japan
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Rutledge LY, White BN, Row JR, Patterson BR. Intense harvesting of eastern wolves facilitated hybridization with coyotes. Ecol Evol 2012; 2:19-33. [PMID: 22408723 PMCID: PMC3297175 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.61] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2011] [Revised: 09/29/2011] [Accepted: 10/03/2011] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite ethical arguments against lethal control of wildlife populations, culling is routinely used for the management of predators, invasive or pest species, and infectious diseases. Here, we demonstrate that culling of wildlife can have unforeseen impacts that can be detrimental to future conservation efforts. Specifically, we analyzed genetic data from eastern wolves (Canis lycaon) sampled in Algonquin Provincial Park (APP), Ontario, Canada from 1964 to 2007. Research culls in 1964 and 1965 killed the majority of wolves within a study region of APP, accounting for approximately 36% of the park's wolf population at a time when coyotes were colonizing the region. The culls were followed by a significant decrease in an eastern wolf mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) haplotype (C1) in the Park's wolf population, as well as an increase in coyote mitochondrial and nuclear DNA. The introgression of nuclear DNA from coyotes, however, appears to have been curtailed by legislation that extended wolf protection outside park boundaries in 2001, although eastern wolf mtDNA haplotype C1 continued to decline and is now rare within the park population. We conclude that the wolf culls transformed the genetic composition of this unique eastern wolf population by facilitating coyote introgression. These results demonstrate that intense localized harvest of a seemingly abundant species can lead to unexpected hybridization events that encumber future conservation efforts. Ultimately, researchers need to contemplate not only the ethics of research methods, but also that future implications may be obscured by gaps in our current scientific understanding.
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Coster SS, Kovach AI. Anthropogenic influences on the spatial genetic structure of black bears. CONSERV GENET 2012. [DOI: 10.1007/s10592-012-0368-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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36
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Hansen MM, Olivieri I, Waller DM, Nielsen EE. Monitoring adaptive genetic responses to environmental change. Mol Ecol 2012; 21:1311-29. [PMID: 22269082 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-294x.2011.05463.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 142] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Widespread environmental changes including climate change, selective harvesting and landscape alterations now greatly affect selection regimes for most organisms. How animals and plants can adapt to these altered environments via contemporary evolution is thus of strong interest. We discuss how to use genetic monitoring to study adaptive responses via repeated analysis of the same populations over time, distinguishing between phenotypic and molecular genetics approaches. After describing monitoring designs, we develop explicit criteria for demonstrating adaptive responses, which include testing for selection and establishing clear links between genetic and environmental change. We then review a few exemplary studies that explore adaptive responses to climate change in Drosophila, selective responses to hunting and fishing, and contemporary evolution in Daphnia using resurrected resting eggs. We further review a broader set of 44 studies to assess how well they meet the proposed criteria, and conclude that only 23% fulfill all criteria. Approximately half (43%) of these studies failed to rule out the alternative hypothesis of replacement by a different, better-adapted population. Likewise, 34% of the studies based on phenotypic variation did not test for selection as opposed to drift. These shortcomings can be addressed via improved experimental designs and statistical testing. We foresee monitoring of adaptive responses as a future valuable tool in conservation biology, for identifying populations unable to evolve at sufficiently high rates and for identifying possible donor populations for genetic rescue. Technological advances will further augment the realization of this potential, especially next-generation sequencing technologies that allow for monitoring at the level of whole genomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael M Hansen
- Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Ny Munkegade 114, Aarhus C, Denmark.
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Influence of habitat fragmentation on the genetic structure of large mammals: evidence for increased structuring of African buffalo (Syncerus caffer) within the Serengeti ecosystem. CONSERV GENET 2011. [DOI: 10.1007/s10592-011-0291-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Hedrick PW. Rapid Decrease in Horn Size of Bighorn Sheep: Environmental Decline, Inbreeding Depression, or Evolutionary Response to Trophy Hunting? J Hered 2011; 102:770-81. [DOI: 10.1093/jhered/esr082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
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Faria CMA, Zarza E, Reynoso VH, Emerson BC. Predominance of single paternity in the black spiny-tailed iguana: conservation genetic concerns for female-biased hunting. CONSERV GENET 2010. [DOI: 10.1007/s10592-010-0047-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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Poissant J, Hogg JT, Davis CS, Miller JM, Maddox JF, Coltman DW. Genetic linkage map of a wild genome: genomic structure, recombination and sexual dimorphism in bighorn sheep. BMC Genomics 2010; 11:524. [PMID: 20920197 PMCID: PMC3091677 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2164-11-524] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2010] [Accepted: 09/28/2010] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The construction of genetic linkage maps in free-living populations is a promising tool for the study of evolution. However, such maps are rare because it is difficult to develop both wild pedigrees and corresponding sets of molecular markers that are sufficiently large. We took advantage of two long-term field studies of pedigreed individuals and genomic resources originally developed for domestic sheep (Ovis aries) to construct a linkage map for bighorn sheep, Ovis canadensis. We then assessed variability in genomic structure and recombination rates between bighorn sheep populations and sheep species. Results Bighorn sheep population-specific maps differed slightly in contiguity but were otherwise very similar in terms of genomic structure and recombination rates. The joint analysis of the two pedigrees resulted in a highly contiguous map composed of 247 microsatellite markers distributed along all 26 autosomes and the X chromosome. The map is estimated to cover about 84% of the bighorn sheep genome and contains 240 unique positions spanning a sex-averaged distance of 3051 cM with an average inter-marker distance of 14.3 cM. Marker synteny, order, sex-averaged interval lengths and sex-averaged total map lengths were all very similar between sheep species. However, in contrast to domestic sheep, but consistent with the usual pattern for a placental mammal, recombination rates in bighorn sheep were significantly greater in females than in males (~12% difference), resulting in an autosomal female map of 3166 cM and an autosomal male map of 2831 cM. Despite differing genome-wide patterns of heterochiasmy between the sheep species, sexual dimorphism in recombination rates was correlated between orthologous intervals. Conclusions We have developed a first-generation bighorn sheep linkage map that will facilitate future studies of the genetic architecture of trait variation in this species. While domestication has been hypothesized to be responsible for the elevated mean recombination rate observed in domestic sheep, our results suggest that it is a characteristic of Ovis species. However, domestication may have played a role in altering patterns of heterochiasmy. Finally, we found that interval-specific patterns of sexual dimorphism were preserved among closely related Ovis species, possibly due to the conserved position of these intervals relative to the centromeres and telomeres. This study exemplifies how transferring genomic resources from domesticated species to close wild relative can benefit evolutionary ecologists while providing insights into the evolution of genomic structure and recombination rates of domesticated species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jocelyn Poissant
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
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Population genetic structure of Alpine chamois (Rupicapra r. rupicapra) in the Italian Alps. EUR J WILDLIFE RES 2010. [DOI: 10.1007/s10344-010-0382-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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Isolation and characterization of 13 tetranucleotide microsatellite loci in the Stone marten (Martes foina). CONSERV GENET RESOUR 2010. [DOI: 10.1007/s12686-010-9217-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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Mysterud A, Bischof R. Can compensatory culling offset undesirable evolutionary consequences of trophy hunting? J Anim Ecol 2010; 79:148-60. [PMID: 19840171 PMCID: PMC2810430 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2656.2009.01621.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2009] [Accepted: 09/02/2009] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
1. There is growing concern about the evolutionary consequences of human harvesting on phenotypic trait quality in wild populations. Undesirable consequences are especially likely with trophy hunting because of its strong bias for specific phenotypic trait values, such as large antlers in cervids and horns in bovids. Selective hunting can cause a decline in a trophy trait over time if it is heritable, thereby reducing the long-term sustainability of the activity itself. 2. How can we build a sustainable trophy hunting tradition without the negative trait-altering effects? We used an individual-based model to explore whether selective compensatory culling of 'low quality' individuals at an early life stage can facilitate sustainability, as suggested by information from managed game populations in eastern and central Europe. Our model was rooted in empirical data on red deer, where heritability of sexual ornaments has been confirmed and phenotypic quality can be assessed by antler size in individuals as young as 1 year. 3. Simulations showed that targeted culling of low-quality yearlings could counter the selective effects of trophy hunting on the distribution of the affected trait (e.g. antler or horn size) in prime-aged individuals. Assumptions of trait heritability and young-to-adult correlation were essential for compensation, but the model proved robust to various other assumptions and changes to input parameters. The simulation approach allowed us to verify responses as evolutionary changes in trait values rather than short-term consequences of altered age structure, density and viability selection. 4. We conclude that evolutionarily enlightened management may accommodate trophy hunting. This has far reaching implications as income from trophy hunting is often channelled into local conservation efforts and rural economies. As an essential follow-up, we recommend an analysis of the effects of trophy hunting in conjunction with compensatory culling on the phenotypic and underlying genetic variance of the trophy trait.
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Affiliation(s)
- Atle Mysterud
- Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis (CEES), Department of Biology, University of Oslo, P.O. Box 1066 Blindern, NO-0316 Oslo, Norway.
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Pérez-González J, Carranza J, Polo V. Measuring female aggregation in ungulate mating-system research: a red deer case study. WILDLIFE RESEARCH 2010. [DOI: 10.1071/wr09033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Context. Mating systems are of central importance to the operation of sexual selection, with consequences for evolution and for the maintenance of genetic diversity. Female aggregation is one of the most important elements of mating systems because female distribution can influence the degree of polygyny. Measuring female aggregation requires finding the scale for the distribution pattern. Several spatial methods can be used to determine the scale of a point pattern; however, only one of them has been applied to mating-system research.
Aims. Here, we assess three different spatial methods to determine the best one in finding the scale of female distribution for female-aggregation measures in a mating-system context.
Methods. We describe and compare the spatial methods by applying them to 30 Iberian red deer (Cervus elaphus hispanicus) populations. We use spatial analyses for point patterns.
Key results. Ripley’s K analysis was found to be the best method for determining the scale of female distribution and for quantifying female-aggregation parameters in our populations.
Conclusions. Ripley’s K analysis, a distance method based on circles centred in individuals and that is widely used in ecological studies, allows the estimation of female aggregation and, hence, it can be used to measure sexual selection.
Implications. This work describes the use of a distance method that can be applied to mating-system research (at least for ungulate populations) to obtain models with behavioural and evolutionary implications.
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NIELSEN EINARE, HEMMER-HANSEN JAKOB, LARSEN PETERFOGED, BEKKEVOLD DORTE. Population genomics of marine fishes: identifying adaptive variation in space and time. Mol Ecol 2009; 18:3128-50. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-294x.2009.04272.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 236] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Poteaux C, Baubet E, Kaminski G, Brandt S, Dobson FS, Baudoin C. Socio-genetic structure and mating system of a wild boar population. J Zool (1987) 2009. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-7998.2009.00553.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Bunnefeld N, Baines D, Newborn D, Milner-Gulland EJ. Factors affecting unintentional harvesting selectivity in a monomorphic species. J Anim Ecol 2009; 78:485-92. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2656.2008.01500.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
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Abstract
Like many wide-ranging mammals, American bison (Bison bison) have experienced significant range contraction over the past two centuries and are maintained in artificially isolated populations. A basic understanding of the distribution of genetic variation among populations is necessary to facilitate long-term germplasm preservation and species conservation. The 11 herds maintained within the US federal system are a critically important source of germplasm for bison conservation, as they include many of the oldest herds in the USA and have served as a primary resource for the establishment of private and public herds worldwide. In this study, we used a panel of 51 nuclear markers to investigate patterns of neutral genetic variation among these herds. Most of these herds have maintained remarkably high levels of variation despite the severe bottleneck suffered in the late 1800s. However, differences were noted in the patterns of variation and levels of differentiation among herds, which were compared with historical records of establishment, supplementation, herd size, and culling practices. Although some lineages have been replicated across multiple herds within the US federal system, other lineages with high levels of genetic variation exist in isolated herds and should be considered targets for the establishment of satellite herds. From this and other studies, it is clear that the genetic variation represented in the US federal system is unevenly distributed among National Park Service and Fish and Wildlife Service herds, and that these resources must be carefully managed to ensure long-term species conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalie D Halbert
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843-4467, USA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas B Smith
- Center for Tropical Research, Institute of the Environment, University of California, Los Angeles, 619 Charles E. Young Dr East, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1496, USA.
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