1
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Domínguez JC, Alda F, Calero-Riestra M, Olea PP, Martínez-Padilla J, Herranz J, Oñate JJ, Santamaría A, Viñuela J, García JT. Genetic footprints of a rapid and large-scale range expansion: the case of cyclic common vole in Spain. Heredity (Edinb) 2023; 130:381-393. [PMID: 36966202 PMCID: PMC10238521 DOI: 10.1038/s41437-023-00613-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2022] [Revised: 03/13/2023] [Accepted: 03/14/2023] [Indexed: 03/27/2023] Open
Abstract
In the Anthropocene, many species are rapidly shifting their ranges in response to human-driven habitat modifications. Studying patterns and genetic signatures of range shifts helps to understand how species cope with environmental disturbances and predict future shifts in the face of global environmental change. We investigated the genetic signature of a contemporary wide-range expansion observed in the Iberian common vole Microtus arvalis asturianus shortly after a colonization event. We used mtDNA and microsatellite data to investigate patterns of genetic diversity, structure, demography, and gene flow across 57 localities covering the historical range of the species and the newly colonized area. The results showed a genetic footprint more compatible with a true range expansion (i.e. the colonization of previously unoccupied areas), than with a model of "colonization from within" (i.e. local expansions from small, unnoticed populations). Genetic diversity measures indicated that the source population was likely located at the NE of the historical range, with a declining gradient of genetic diversity towards the more recently invaded areas. At the expansion front, we observed the greatest gene flow and smallest pairwise differences between nearby localities. Both natural landscape features (rivers) and recent anthropogenic barriers (roads, railways) explained a large proportion of genetic variance among populations and had a significant impact on the colonization pathways used by voles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julio C Domínguez
- IREC, Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (CSIC-UCLM-JCCM), Ronda de Toledo 12, 13071, Ciudad Real, Spain.
- IPE, Pyrenean Institute of Ecology (CSIC), 22700, Avda. Nuestra Señora de la Victoria 16, Jaca, Spain.
| | - Fernando Alda
- Department of Biology, Geology and Environmental Science, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, Chattanooga, TN, USA
| | - María Calero-Riestra
- IREC, Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (CSIC-UCLM-JCCM), Ronda de Toledo 12, 13071, Ciudad Real, Spain
- IPE, Pyrenean Institute of Ecology (CSIC), 22700, Avda. Nuestra Señora de la Victoria 16, Jaca, Spain
| | - Pedro P Olea
- Terrestrial Ecology Group (TEG)-Departamento de Ecología, and Centro de Investigación en Biodiversidad y Cambio Global, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, c/ Darwin, 2, 28049, Madrid, Spain
| | - Jesús Martínez-Padilla
- IPE, Pyrenean Institute of Ecology (CSIC), 22700, Avda. Nuestra Señora de la Victoria 16, Jaca, Spain
| | - Jesús Herranz
- Terrestrial Ecology Group (TEG)-Departamento de Ecología, and Centro de Investigación en Biodiversidad y Cambio Global, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, c/ Darwin, 2, 28049, Madrid, Spain
| | - Juan José Oñate
- Terrestrial Ecology Group (TEG)-Departamento de Ecología, and Centro de Investigación en Biodiversidad y Cambio Global, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, c/ Darwin, 2, 28049, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ana Santamaría
- Terrestrial Ecology Group (TEG)-Departamento de Ecología, and Centro de Investigación en Biodiversidad y Cambio Global, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, c/ Darwin, 2, 28049, Madrid, Spain
| | - Javier Viñuela
- IREC, Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (CSIC-UCLM-JCCM), Ronda de Toledo 12, 13071, Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - Jesús T García
- IREC, Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (CSIC-UCLM-JCCM), Ronda de Toledo 12, 13071, Ciudad Real, Spain
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2
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Thomas NE, Hailer F, Bruford MW, Chadwick EA. Country‐wide genetic monitoring over 21 years reveals lag in genetic recovery despite spatial connectivity in an expanding carnivore (Eurasian otter,
Lutra lutra
) population. Evol Appl 2022; 15:2125-2141. [DOI: 10.1111/eva.13505] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2022] [Revised: 08/05/2022] [Accepted: 10/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Nia E. Thomas
- Organisms and Environment Research Division, School of Biosciences Cardiff University Cardiff Wales UK
| | - Frank Hailer
- Organisms and Environment Research Division, School of Biosciences Cardiff University Cardiff Wales UK
| | - Michael W. Bruford
- Organisms and Environment Research Division, School of Biosciences Cardiff University Cardiff Wales UK
| | - Elizabeth A. Chadwick
- Organisms and Environment Research Division, School of Biosciences Cardiff University Cardiff Wales UK
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3
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vonHoldt BM, Brzeski KE, Aardema ML, Schell CJ, Rutledge LY, Fain SR, Shutt AC, Linderholm A, Murphy WJ. Persistence and expansion of cryptic endangered red wolf genomic ancestry along the American Gulf coast. Mol Ecol 2022; 31:5440-5454. [PMID: 34585803 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2021] [Revised: 09/03/2021] [Accepted: 09/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Admixture and introgression play a critical role in adaptation and genetic rescue that has only recently gained a deeper appreciation. Here, we explored the geographical and genomic landscape of cryptic ancestry of the endangered red wolf that persists within the genome of a ubiquitous sister taxon, the coyote, all while the red wolf has been extinct in the wild since the early 1980s. We assessed admixture across 120,621 single nucleotiode polymorphism (SNP) loci genotyped in 293 canid genomes. We found support for increased red wolf ancestry along a west-to-east gradient across the southern United States associated with historical admixture in the past 100 years. Southwestern Louisiana and southeastern Texas, the geographical zone where the last red wolves were known prior to extinction in the wild, contained the highest and oldest levels of red wolf ancestry. Further, given the paucity of inferences based on chromosome types, we compared patterns of ancestry on the X chromosome and autosomes. We additionally aimed to explore the relationship between admixture timing and recombination rate variation to investigate gene flow events. We found that X-linked regions of low recombination rates were depleted of introgression, relative to the autosomes, consistent with the large X effect and enrichment with loci involved in maintaining reproductive isolation. Recombination rate was positively correlated with red wolf ancestry across coyote genomes, consistent with theoretical predictions. The geographical and genomic extent of cryptic red wolf ancestry can provide novel genomic resources for recovery plans targeting the conservation of the endangered red wolf.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bridgett M vonHoldt
- Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, USA
| | - Kristin E Brzeski
- College of Forest Resources and Environment Science, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, Michigan, USA
| | - Matthew L Aardema
- Department of Biology, Montclair State University, Montclair, New Jersey, USA.,Sackler Institute for Comparative Genomics, American Museum of Natural History, New York, New York, USA
| | - Christopher J Schell
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Linda Y Rutledge
- Biology Department, Trent University, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada
| | - Steven R Fain
- USFWS, Clark R. Bavin National Forensics Laboratory, Ashland, Oregon, USA
| | | | - Anna Linderholm
- Department of Anthropology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
| | - William J Murphy
- Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
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4
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Hinton JW, West KM, Sullivan DJ, Frair JL, Chamberlain MJ. The natural history and ecology of melanism in red wolf and coyote populations of the southeastern United States – evidence for Gloger’s rule. BMC ZOOL 2022; 7:33. [PMID: 37170305 PMCID: PMC10127370 DOI: 10.1186/s40850-022-00138-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2021] [Accepted: 06/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Background
Gloger’s rule postulates that animals should be darker colored in warm and humid regions where dense vegetation and dark environments are common. Although rare in Canis populations, melanism in wolves is more common in North America than other regions globally and is believed to follow Gloger’s rule. In the temperate forests of the southeastern United States, historical records of red wolf (Canis rufus) and coyote (Canis latrans) populations document a consistent presence of melanism. Today, the melanistic phenotype is extinct in red wolves while occurring in coyotes and red wolf-coyote hybrids who occupy the red wolf's historical range. To assess if Gloger’s rule could explain the occurrence and maintenance of melanistic phenotypes in Canis taxa, we investigated differences in morphology, habitat selection, and survival associated with pelage color using body measurements, GPS tracking data, and long-term capture-mark-recapture and radio-telemetry data collected on coyotes and hybrids across the southeastern United States.
Results
We found no correlation between morphometrics and pelage color for Canis taxa. However, we observed that melanistic coyotes and hybrids experienced greater annual survival than did their gray conspecifics. Furthermore, we observed that melanistic coyotes maintained larger home ranges and exhibited greater selection for areas with dense canopy cover and wetlands than did gray coyotes.
Conclusions
In the southeastern United States, pelage color influenced habitat selection by coyotes and annual survival of coyotes and hybrids providing evidence that Gloger’s rule is applicable to canids inhabiting regions with dense canopy cover and wetlands. Greater annual survival rates observed in melanistic Canis may be attributed to better concealment in areas with dense canopy cover such as coastal bottomland forests. We suggest that the larger home range sizes of melanistic coyotes may reflect the trade-off of reduced foraging efficiency in lower quality wetland habitat for improved survival. Larger home ranges and differential use of land cover by melanistic coyotes may facilitate weak assortative mating in eastern coyote populations, in which melanistic animals may have lower success of finding compatible mates in comparison to gray conspecifics. We offer that our observations provide a partial explanation for why melanism is relatively low (< 10%) but consistent within coyote populations throughout southeastern parts of their range.
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5
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vonHoldt BM, Aardema ML. Updating the Bibliography of Interbreeding among Canis in North America. J Hered 2021; 111:249-262. [PMID: 32034410 DOI: 10.1093/jhered/esaa004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2019] [Accepted: 02/05/2020] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
This bibliography provides a collection of references that documents the evolution of studies evidencing interbreeding among Canis species in North America. Over the past several decades, advances in biology and genomic technology greatly improved our ability to detect and characterize species interbreeding, which has significance for understanding species in a changing landscape as well as for endangered species management. This bibliography includes a discussion within each category of interbreeding, the timeline of developing evidence, and includes a review of past research conducted on experimental crosses. Research conducted in the early 20th century is rich with detailed records and photographs of hybrid offspring development and behavior. With the progression of molecular methods, studies can estimate historical demographic parameters and detect chromosomal patterns of ancestry. As these methods continue to increase in accessibility, the field will gain a deeper and richer understanding of the evolutionary history of North American Canis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bridgett M vonHoldt
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ
| | - Matthew L Aardema
- Department of Biology, Montclair State University, Montclair, NJ.,Sackler Institute for Comparative Genomics, American Museum of Natural History, New York City, NY
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6
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Shutler D, Priest JM, Stewart DT, Boudreau M. Demographical and morphological differences among coyotes ( Canis latrans) relative to sampling method. CAN J ZOOL 2021. [DOI: 10.1139/cjz-2020-0167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Collection methods can be biased, leading to misperceptions of population composition. We tested if collection method (footholds, snares, and shooting) gave different perceptions of demography or morphology of 3539 eastern coyotes (Canis latrans Say, 1823). We found no differences in sex ratios of animals among methods, but did find some evidence that younger, lighter, and smaller animals were more likely to be collected by footholds than with snares. Female reproductive histories (placental scars) did not differ among methods. In a subsample of 232 animals, we found no evidence of differences in helminth parasitism relative to collection method. Overall, our large sample for the non-parasite analyses facilitated finding statistical significance; the biological implications hinge on the precision required in estimating population composition and the focal characteristics being compared. For example, mass was 5.3% lower for coyotes caught with footholds versus snares and 10.4% lower for coyotes caught with footholds versus being shot, whereas linear trait measurements of coyotes caught with footholds were generally smaller by at most 4.5% compared with other methods (broadly consistent with linear versus volumetric measurements). Our study provides important baseline information for making inferences about populations of coyotes (and other species) sampled using only a single collection method.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dave Shutler
- Department of Biology, Acadia University, 15 University Avenue, Wolfville, NS B4P 2R6, Canada
| | - Jenna M. Priest
- Department of Biology, Acadia University, 15 University Avenue, Wolfville, NS B4P 2R6, Canada
- Nova Scotia Department of Lands and Forestry, Wildlife Division, Kentville, NS B4N 4E5, Canada
| | - Donald T. Stewart
- Department of Biology, Acadia University, 15 University Avenue, Wolfville, NS B4P 2R6, Canada
| | - Michael Boudreau
- Nova Scotia Department of Lands and Forestry, Wildlife Division, Kentville, NS B4N 4E5, Canada
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7
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Sarabia C, vonHoldt B, Larrasoaña JC, Uríos V, Leonard JA. Pleistocene climate fluctuations drove demographic history of African golden wolves (Canis lupaster). Mol Ecol 2020; 30:6101-6120. [PMID: 33372365 DOI: 10.1111/mec.15784] [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: 07/24/2020] [Revised: 12/03/2020] [Accepted: 12/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Pleistocene climate change impacted entire ecosystems throughout the world. In the northern hemisphere, the distribution of Arctic species expanded during glacial periods, while more temperate and mesic species contracted into climatic refugia, where isolation drove genetic divergence. Cycles of local cooling and warming in the Sahara region of northern Africa caused repeated contractions and expansions of savannah-like environments which connected mesic species isolated in refugia during interglacial times, possibly driving population expansions and contractions; divergence and geneflow in the associated fauna. Here, we use whole genome sequences of African golden wolves (Canis lupaster), a generalist mesopredator with a wide distribution in northern Africa to estimate their demographic history and past episodes of geneflow. We detect a correlation between divergence times and cycles of increased aridity-associated Pleistocene glacial cycles. A complex demographic history with responses to local climate change in different lineages was found, including a relict lineage north of the High Atlas Mountains of Morocco that has been isolated for more than 18,000 years, possibly a distinct ecotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Sarabia
- Conservation and Evolutionary Genetics Group, Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD-CSIC, Seville, Spain
| | - Bridgett vonHoldt
- Faculty of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Princeton, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | | | - Vicente Uríos
- Vertebrate Zoology Research Group, University of Alicante, Alicante, Spain
| | - Jennifer A Leonard
- Conservation and Evolutionary Genetics Group, Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD-CSIC, Seville, Spain
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8
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Genetic diversity and relatedness of a recently established population of eastern coyotes (Canis latrans) in New York City. Urban Ecosyst 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s11252-019-00918-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
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9
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Cairns KM, Nesbitt BJ, Laffan SW, Letnic M, Crowther MS. Geographic hot spots of dingo genetic ancestry in southeastern Australia despite hybridisation with domestic dogs. CONSERV GENET 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s10592-019-01230-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
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10
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Self SW, Pulaski CN, McMahan CS, Brown DA, Yabsley MJ, Gettings JR. Regional and local temporal trends in the prevalence of canine heartworm infection in the contiguous United States: 2012-2018. Parasit Vectors 2019; 12:380. [PMID: 31362754 PMCID: PMC6668072 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-019-3633-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2019] [Accepted: 07/22/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Canine heartworm disease is a potentially fatal disease for which treatment is financially burdensome for many pet owners. Prevention is strongly advocated by the veterinary community along with routine testing for infection during annual wellness examinations. Despite the availability of efficacious chemoprophylaxis, recent reports have suggested that the incidence of heartworm disease in domestic dogs is increasing. Results Using data from tests for heartworm infection in the USA from January 2012 through September 2018, a Bayesian spatio-temporal binomial regression model was used to estimate the regional and local temporal trends of heartworm infection prevalence. The area with the largest increase in regional prevalence was found in the Lower Mississippi River Valley. Regional prevalence increased throughout the southeastern states and northward into Illinois and Indiana. Local (county-level) prevalence varied across the USA, with increasing prevalence occurring along most of the Atlantic coast, central United States, and western states. Clusters of decreasing prevalence were present along the Mississippi Alluvial Plain (a historically endemic area), Oklahoma and Kansas, and Florida. Conclusions Canine heartworm infection prevalence is increasing in much of the USA, both regionally and locally, despite veterinarian recommendations on prevention and testing. Additional steps should be taken to protect dogs, cats and ferrets. Further work is needed to identify the driving factors of the locally decreasing prevalence present along the Mississippi Alluvial plain, Florida, and other areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stella W Self
- School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, 29634, USA
| | - Cassan N Pulaski
- Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, 70803, USA
| | - Christopher S McMahan
- School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, 29634, USA
| | - D Andrew Brown
- School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, 29634, USA
| | - Michael J Yabsley
- Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study, Department of Population Health, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA.,Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA
| | - Jenna R Gettings
- Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study, Department of Population Health, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA.
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11
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Hinton JW, Heppenheimer E, West KM, Caudill D, Karlin ML, Kilgo JC, Mayer JJ, Miller KV, Walch M, vonHoldt B, Chamberlain MJ. Geographic patterns in morphometric and genetic variation for coyote populations with emphasis on southeastern coyotes. Ecol Evol 2019; 9:3389-3404. [PMID: 30962900 PMCID: PMC6434562 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4966] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2018] [Revised: 12/02/2018] [Accepted: 12/20/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Prior to 1900, coyotes (Canis latrans) were restricted to the western and central regions of North America, but by the early 2000s, coyotes became ubiquitous throughout the eastern United States. Information regarding morphological and genetic structure of coyote populations in the southeastern United States is limited, and where data exist, they are rarely compared to those from other regions of North America. We assessed geographic patterns in morphology and genetics of coyotes with special consideration of coyotes in the southeastern United States. Mean body mass of coyote populations increased along a west-to-east gradient, with southeastern coyotes being intermediate to western and northeastern coyotes. Similarly, principal component analysis of body mass and linear body measurements suggested that southeastern coyotes were intermediate to western and northeastern coyotes in body size but exhibited shorter tails and ears from other populations. Genetic analyses indicated that southeastern coyotes represented a distinct genetic cluster that differentiated strongly from western and northeastern coyotes. We postulate that southeastern coyotes experienced lower immigration from western populations than did northeastern coyotes, and over time, genetically diverged from both western and northeastern populations. Coyotes colonizing eastern North America experienced different selective pressures than did stable populations in the core range, and we offer that the larger body size of eastern coyotes reflects an adaptation that improved dispersal capabilities of individuals in the expanding range.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph W. Hinton
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural ResourcesUniversity of GeorgiaAthensGeorgia
| | | | | | - Danny Caudill
- Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation CommissionGainesvilleFlorida
- Present address:
Alaska Department of Fish and GameFairbanksAlaska
| | - Melissa L. Karlin
- Department of Physics and Environmental SciencesSt. Mary's UniversitySan AntonioTexas
| | - John C. Kilgo
- United States Department of AgricultureForest Service Southern Research StationNew EllentonSouth Carolina
| | - John Joseph Mayer
- United States Department of Energy, Environmental Sciences, and BiotechnologySavannah River National LaboratoryAikenSouth Carolina
| | - Karl V. Miller
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural ResourcesUniversity of GeorgiaAthensGeorgia
| | | | - Bridgett vonHoldt
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyPrinceton UniversityPrincetonNew Jersey
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12
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DeCandia AL, Henger CS, Krause A, Gormezano LJ, Weckel M, Nagy C, Munshi-South J, vonHoldt BM. Genetics of urban colonization: neutral and adaptive variation in coyotes (Canis latrans) inhabiting the New York metropolitan area. JOURNAL OF URBAN ECOLOGY 2019. [DOI: 10.1093/jue/juz002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra L DeCandia
- Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, 106A Guyot Hall, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Carol S Henger
- Louis Calder Center—Biological Field Station, Fordham University, 31 Whippoorwill Road, Armonk, NY, USA
| | - Amelia Krause
- Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, 106A Guyot Hall, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Linda J Gormezano
- American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West & 79th Street, New York, NY, USA
| | - Mark Weckel
- American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West & 79th Street, New York, NY, USA
| | | | - Jason Munshi-South
- Louis Calder Center—Biological Field Station, Fordham University, 31 Whippoorwill Road, Armonk, NY, USA
| | - Bridgett M vonHoldt
- Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, 106A Guyot Hall, Princeton, NJ, USA
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13
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DeCandia AL, Brzeski KE, Heppenheimer E, Caro CV, Camenisch G, Wandeler P, Driscoll C, vonHoldt BM. Urban colonization through multiple genetic lenses: The city-fox phenomenon revisited. Ecol Evol 2019; 9:2046-2060. [PMID: 30847091 PMCID: PMC6392345 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4898] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2018] [Revised: 12/11/2018] [Accepted: 12/13/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Urbanization is driving environmental change on a global scale, creating novel environments for wildlife to colonize. Through a combination of stochastic and selective processes, urbanization is also driving evolutionary change. For instance, difficulty in traversing human-modified landscapes may isolate newly established populations from rural sources, while novel selective pressures, such as altered disease risk, toxicant exposure, and light pollution, may further diverge populations through local adaptation. Assessing the evolutionary consequences of urban colonization and the processes underlying them is a principle aim of urban evolutionary ecology. In the present study, we revisited the genetic effects of urbanization on red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) that colonized Zurich, Switzerland. Through use of genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphisms and microsatellite markers linked to the major histocompatibility complex (MHC), we expanded upon a previous neutral microsatellite study to assess population structure, characterize patterns of genetic diversity, and detect outliers associated with urbanization. Our results indicated the presence of one large evolutionary cluster, with substructure evident between geographic sampling areas. In urban foxes, we observed patterns of neutral and functional diversity consistent with founder events and reported increased differentiation between populations separated by natural and anthropogenic barriers. We additionally reported evidence of selection acting on MHC-linked markers and identified outlier loci with putative gene functions related to energy metabolism, behavior, and immunity. We concluded that demographic processes primarily drove patterns of diversity, with outlier tests providing preliminary evidence of possible urban adaptation. This study contributes to our overall understanding of urban colonization ecology and emphasizes the value of combining datasets when examining evolutionary change in an increasingly urban world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra L. DeCandia
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyPrinceton UniversityPrincetonNew Jersey
| | - Kristin E. Brzeski
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyPrinceton UniversityPrincetonNew Jersey
- School of Forest Resources and Environmental ScienceMichigan Technological UniversityHoughtonMichigan
| | | | - Catherine V. Caro
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyPrinceton UniversityPrincetonNew Jersey
| | - Glauco Camenisch
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental StudiesUniversity of ZurichZurichSwitzerland
| | | | - Carlos Driscoll
- Laboratory of Comparative Behavioral GenomicsNational Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of HealthRockvilleMaryland
| | - Bridgett M. vonHoldt
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyPrinceton UniversityPrincetonNew Jersey
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14
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Heppenheimer E, Brzeski KE, Hinton JW, Patterson BR, Rutledge LY, DeCandia AL, Wheeldon T, Fain SR, Hohenlohe PA, Kays R, White BN, Chamberlain MJ, vonHoldt BM. High genomic diversity and candidate genes under selection associated with range expansion in eastern coyote ( Canis latrans) populations. Ecol Evol 2018; 8:12641-12655. [PMID: 30619570 PMCID: PMC6309008 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4688] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2018] [Revised: 10/10/2018] [Accepted: 10/15/2018] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Range expansion is a widespread biological process, with well-described theoretical expectations associated with the colonization of novel ranges. However, comparatively few empirical studies address the genomic outcomes accompanying the genome-wide consequences associated with the range expansion process, particularly in recent or ongoing expansions. Here, we assess two recent and distinct eastward expansion fronts of a highly mobile carnivore, the coyote (Canis latrans), to investigate patterns of genomic diversity and identify variants that may have been under selection during range expansion. Using a restriction-associated DNA sequencing (RADseq), we genotyped 394 coyotes at 22,935 SNPs and found that overall population structure corresponded to their 19th century historical range and two distinct populations that expanded during the 20th century. Counter to theoretical expectations for populations to bottleneck during range expansions, we observed minimal evidence for decreased genomic diversity across coyotes sampled along either expansion front, which is likely due to hybridization with other Canis species. Furthermore, we identified 12 SNPs, located either within genes or putative regulatory regions, that were consistently associated with range expansion. Of these 12 genes, three (CACNA1C, ALK, and EPHA6) have putative functions related to dispersal, including habituation to novel environments and spatial learning, consistent with the expectations for traits under selection during range expansion. Although coyote colonization of eastern North America is well-publicized, this study provides novel insights by identifying genes associated with dispersal capabilities in coyotes on the two eastern expansion fronts.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kristin E. Brzeski
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary BiologyPrinceton UniversityPrincetonNew Jersey
- School of Forest Resources and Environmental ScienceMichigan Technological UniversityHoughtonMichigan
| | - Joseph W. Hinton
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural ResourcesUniversity of GeorgiaAthensGeorgia
| | - Brent R. Patterson
- Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and ForestryPeterboroughOntarioCanada
- Trent UniversityPeterboroughOntario
| | - Linda Y. Rutledge
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary BiologyPrinceton UniversityPrincetonNew Jersey
- Trent UniversityPeterboroughOntario
| | | | - Tyler Wheeldon
- Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and ForestryPeterboroughOntarioCanada
- Trent UniversityPeterboroughOntario
| | | | - Paul A. Hohenlohe
- Department of Biological Sciences, Institute for Bioinformatics and Evolutionary StudiesUniversity of IdahoMoscowIdaho
| | - Roland Kays
- Department of Forestry and Environmental ResourcesNorth Carolina State UniversityRaleighNorth Carolina
- North Carolina Museum of Natural SciencesRaleighNorth Carolina
| | | | | | - Bridgett M. vonHoldt
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary BiologyPrinceton UniversityPrincetonNew Jersey
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