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Dussex N, Kurland S, Olsen RA, Spong G, Ericsson G, Ekblom R, Ryman N, Dalén L, Laikre L. Range-wide and temporal genomic analyses reveal the consequences of near-extinction in Swedish moose. Commun Biol 2023; 6:1035. [PMID: 37848497 PMCID: PMC10582009 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-05385-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 10/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Ungulate species have experienced severe declines over the past centuries through overharvesting and habitat loss. Even if many game species have recovered thanks to strict hunting regulation, the genome-wide impacts of overharvesting are still unclear. Here, we examine the temporal and geographical differences in genome-wide diversity in moose (Alces alces) over its whole range in Sweden by sequencing 87 modern and historical genomes. We found limited impact of the 1900s near-extinction event but local variation in inbreeding and load in modern populations, as well as suggestion of a risk of future reduction in genetic diversity and gene flow. Furthermore, we found candidate genes for local adaptation, and rapid temporal allele frequency shifts involving coding genes since the 1980s, possibly due to selective harvesting. Our results highlight that genomic changes potentially impacting fitness can occur over short time scales and underline the need to track both deleterious and selectively advantageous genomic variation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Dussex
- Centre for Palaeogenetics, Svante Arrhenius väg 20C, SE-106 91, Stockholm, Sweden.
- Department of Zoology, Division of Population Genetics, Stockholm University, SE-106 91, Stockholm, Sweden.
- Department of Bioinformatics and Genetics, Swedish Museum of Natural History, SE-104 05, Stockholm, Sweden.
- Norwegian University of Science and Technology, University Museum, Trondheim, NO-7491, Norway.
| | - Sara Kurland
- Department of Zoology, Division of Population Genetics, Stockholm University, SE-106 91, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Remi-André Olsen
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Stockholm University, SE-171 21, Solna, Sweden
| | - Göran Spong
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SE-901 83, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Göran Ericsson
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SE-901 83, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Robert Ekblom
- Wildlife Analysis Unit, Swedish Environmental Protection Agency, SE-106 48, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Nils Ryman
- Department of Zoology, Division of Population Genetics, Stockholm University, SE-106 91, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Love Dalén
- Centre for Palaeogenetics, Svante Arrhenius väg 20C, SE-106 91, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Zoology, Division of Population Genetics, Stockholm University, SE-106 91, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Bioinformatics and Genetics, Swedish Museum of Natural History, SE-104 05, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Linda Laikre
- Department of Zoology, Division of Population Genetics, Stockholm University, SE-106 91, Stockholm, Sweden.
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Mills KL, Belant JL, Beukes M, Dröge E, Everatt KT, Fyumagwa R, Green DS, Hayward MW, Holekamp KE, Radloff FGT, Spong G, Suraci JP, Van der Weyde LK, Wilmers CC, Carter NH, Sanders NJ. Tradeoffs between resources and risks shape the responses of a large carnivore to human disturbance. Commun Biol 2023; 6:986. [PMID: 37848509 PMCID: PMC10582050 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-05321-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2023] [Accepted: 09/04/2023] [Indexed: 10/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Wide-ranging carnivores experience tradeoffs between dynamic resource availabilities and heterogeneous risks from humans, with consequences for their ecological function and conservation outcomes. Yet, research investigating these tradeoffs across large carnivore distributions is rare. We assessed how resource availability and anthropogenic risks influence the strength of lion (Panthera leo) responses to disturbance using data from 31 sites across lions' contemporary range. Lions avoided human disturbance at over two-thirds of sites, though their responses varied depending on site-level characteristics. Lions were more likely to exploit human-dominated landscapes where resources were limited, indicating that resource limitation can outweigh anthropogenic risks and might exacerbate human-carnivore conflict. Lions also avoided human impacts by increasing their nocturnal activity more often at sites with higher production of cattle. The combined effects of expanding human impacts and environmental change threaten to simultaneously downgrade the ecological function of carnivores and intensify human-carnivore conflicts, escalating extinction risks for many species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kirby L Mills
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
| | - Jerrold L Belant
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Maya Beukes
- Senckenberg Research Institute and Nature Museum, Terrestrial Zoology, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Egil Dröge
- WildCRU, Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Tubney, UK
- Zambian Carnivore Programme, Mfuwe, Zambia
| | - Kristoffer T Everatt
- Panthera, New York, NY, USA
- Centre for African Conservation Ecology, Nelson Mandela University, Port Elizabeth, South Africa
- Greater Limpopo Carnivore Programme, Limpopo, Mozambique
| | - Robert Fyumagwa
- Wildlife Conservation Initiative, Arusha, United Republic of Tanzania
| | - David S Green
- Institute for Natural Resources, Portland State University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Matt W Hayward
- Conservation Science Research Group, School of Environmental and Life Science, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia
- Centre for African Conservation Ecology, Nelson Mandela University, Qgeberha, South Africa
- Centre for Wildlife Management, University of Pretoria, Tshwane, South Africa
| | - Kay E Holekamp
- Department of Integrative Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
- Program in Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, MI, USA
| | - F G T Radloff
- Department of Conservation and Marine Sciences, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Göran Spong
- Molecular Ecology Group, SLU, 901 83, UMEÅ, Sweden
| | | | - Leanne K Van der Weyde
- Cheetah Conservation Botswana, Gaborone, Botswana
- San Diego Zoo Institute for Conservation Research, Escondido, CA, USA
| | | | - Neil H Carter
- School for Environment and Sustainability, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Nathan J Sanders
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
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Michell CT, Pohjoismäki JLO, Spong G, Thulin CG. Mountain- and brown hare genetic polymorphisms to survey local adaptations and conservation status of the heath hare (Lepus timidus sylvaticus, Nilsson 1831). Sci Data 2022; 9:667. [PMID: 36329035 PMCID: PMC9633808 DOI: 10.1038/s41597-022-01794-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2022] [Accepted: 10/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
We provide the first whole genome sequences from three specimens of the mountain hare subspecies the heath hare (Lepus timidus sylvaticus), along with samples from two mountain hares (Lepus timidus timidus) and two brown hares (Lepus europaeus) from Sweden. The heath hare has a unique grey winter pelage as compared to other mountain hares (white) and brown hares (mostly brown), and face regional extinction, likely due to competitive exclusion from the non-native brown hare. Whole genome resequencing from the seven hare specimens were mapped to the Lepus timidus pseudoreference genome and used for detection of 11,363,883 polymorphic nucleotide positions. The data presented here could be useful for addressing local adaptations and conservation status of mountain hares and brown hares in Sweden, including unique subspecies. Measurement(s) | whole genome sequencing | Technology Type(s) | Illumina HiSeq X | Factor Type(s) | Species | Sample Characteristic - Organism | Lepus timidus • Lepus europaeus • Lepus timidus sylvaticus | Sample Characteristic - Location | Sweden |
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Affiliation(s)
- Craig T Michell
- Department of Environmental and Biological Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, P.O. Box 111, FI-80101, Joensuu, Finland. .,Red Sea Research Center, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Box 4700, 23955-6900, Thuwal, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
| | - Jaakko L O Pohjoismäki
- Department of Environmental and Biological Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, P.O. Box 111, FI-80101, Joensuu, Finland
| | - Göran Spong
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies, Molecular Ecology Group, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Skogmarksgränd, 901 83, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Carl-Gustaf Thulin
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Biochemistry, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Box 7011, 750 07, Uppsala, Sweden.
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4
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Östergren J, Palm S, Gilbey J, Spong G, Dannewitz J, Königsson H, Persson J, Vasemägi A. A century of genetic homogenization in Baltic salmon-evidence from archival DNA. Proc Biol Sci 2021; 288:20203147. [PMID: 33878928 PMCID: PMC8059615 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2020.3147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Intra-species genetic homogenization arising from anthropogenic impacts is a major threat to biodiversity. However, few taxa have sufficient historical material to systematically quantify long-term genetic changes. Using archival DNA collected over approximately 100 years, we assessed spatio-temporal genetic change in Atlantic salmon populations across the Baltic Sea, an area heavily impacted by hydropower exploitation and associated with large-scale mitigation stocking. Analysis was carried out by screening 82 SNPs in 1680 individuals from 13 Swedish rivers. We found an overall decrease in genetic divergence and diminished isolation by distance among populations, strongly indicating genetic homogenization over the past century. We further observed an increase in genetic diversity within populations consistent with increased gene flow. The temporal genetic change was lower in larger wild populations than in smaller wild and hatchery-reared ones, indicating that larger populations have been able to support a high number of native spawners in relation to immigrants. Our results demonstrate that stocking practices of salmon in the Baltic Sea have led to the homogenization of populations over the last century, potentially compromising their ability to adapt to environmental change. Stocking of reared fish is common worldwide, and our study is a cautionary example of the potentially long-term negative effects of such activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johan Östergren
- Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Aquatic Resources, Institute of Freshwater Research, Stångholmsvägen 2, SE-178 93 Drottningholm, Sweden
| | - Stefan Palm
- Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Aquatic Resources, Institute of Freshwater Research, Stångholmsvägen 2, SE-178 93 Drottningholm, Sweden
| | - John Gilbey
- Marine Scotland Science, Freshwater Fisheries Laboratory, Faskally, Pitlochry, PH16 5LB, UK
| | - Göran Spong
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SE-901 83 USA
| | - Johan Dannewitz
- Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Aquatic Resources, Institute of Freshwater Research, Stångholmsvägen 2, SE-178 93 Drottningholm, Sweden
| | - Helena Königsson
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SE-901 83 USA
| | - John Persson
- Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Aquatic Resources, Institute of Freshwater Research, Stångholmsvägen 2, SE-178 93 Drottningholm, Sweden
| | - Anti Vasemägi
- Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Aquatic Resources, Institute of Freshwater Research, Stångholmsvägen 2, SE-178 93 Drottningholm, Sweden.,Chair of Aquaculture, Institute of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Tartu, Estonia
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5
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Paijmans JLA, Barlow A, Becker MS, Cahill JA, Fickel J, Förster DWG, Gries K, Hartmann S, Havmøller RW, Henneberger K, Kern C, Kitchener AC, Lorenzen ED, Mayer F, OBrien SJ, von Seth J, Sinding MHS, Spong G, Uphyrkina O, Wachter B, Westbury MV, Dalén L, Bhak J, Manica A, Hofreiter M. African and Asian leopards are highly differentiated at the genomic level. Curr Biol 2021; 31:1872-1882.e5. [PMID: 33848458 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.03.084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2020] [Revised: 02/05/2021] [Accepted: 03/24/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Leopards are the only big cats still widely distributed across the continents of Africa and Asia. They occur in a wide range of habitats and are often found in close proximity to humans. But despite their ubiquity, leopard phylogeography and population history have not yet been studied with genomic tools. Here, we present population-genomic data from 26 modern and historical samples encompassing the vast geographical distribution of this species. We find that Asian leopards are broadly monophyletic with respect to African leopards across almost their entire nuclear genomes. This profound genetic pattern persists despite the animals' high potential mobility, and despite evidence of transfer of African alleles into Middle Eastern and Central Asian leopard populations within the last 100,000 years. Our results further suggest that Asian leopards originated from a single out-of-Africa dispersal event 500-600 thousand years ago and are characterized by higher population structuring, stronger isolation by distance, and lower heterozygosity than African leopards. Taxonomic categories do not take into account the variability in depth of divergence among subspecies. The deep divergence between the African subspecies and Asian populations contrasts with the much shallower divergence among putative Asian subspecies. Reconciling genomic variation and taxonomy is likely to be a growing challenge in the genomics era.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johanna L A Paijmans
- Institute for Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, Karl-Liebknecht-Str. 24-25, 14476 Potsdam, Germany; Department of Genetics & Genome Biology, University of Leicester, Leicester LE1 7RH, UK; Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, UK.
| | - Axel Barlow
- Institute for Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, Karl-Liebknecht-Str. 24-25, 14476 Potsdam, Germany; School of Science and Technology, Nottingham Trent University, Clifton Lane, Nottingham NG11 8NS, UK
| | - Matthew S Becker
- Zambian Carnivore Programme, PO Box 80 Mfuwe, Eastern Province, Zambia
| | - James A Cahill
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics of Language, Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY, 10065, USA; Department of Environmental Engineering Sciences, Engineering School of Sustainable Infrastructure and Environment, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611
| | - Joerns Fickel
- Institute for Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, Karl-Liebknecht-Str. 24-25, 14476 Potsdam, Germany; Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Alfred-Kowalke-Str. 17, 10315 Berlin, Germany
| | - Daniel W G Förster
- Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Alfred-Kowalke-Str. 17, 10315 Berlin, Germany
| | - Katrin Gries
- Der Grüne Zoo Wuppertal, Hubertusallee 30, 42117 Wuppertal, Germany
| | - Stefanie Hartmann
- Institute for Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, Karl-Liebknecht-Str. 24-25, 14476 Potsdam, Germany
| | - Rasmus Worsøe Havmøller
- GLOBE institute, University of Copenhagen, Oester Voldgade 5-7, 1350, Copenhagen K, Denmark; Research and Collections, Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 15, 2100 Copenhagen OE, Denmark
| | - Kirstin Henneberger
- Institute for Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, Karl-Liebknecht-Str. 24-25, 14476 Potsdam, Germany
| | - Christian Kern
- Tierpark Berlin-Friedrichsfelde, Am Tierpark 125, 10319 Berlin, Germany
| | - Andrew C Kitchener
- Department of Natural Sciences, National Museums Scotland, Chambers Street, Edinburgh EH1 1JF, UK; Institute of Geography, School of Geosciences. Drummond Street, University of Edinburgh EH8 9XP, UK
| | - Eline D Lorenzen
- GLOBE institute, University of Copenhagen, Oester Voldgade 5-7, 1350, Copenhagen K, Denmark
| | - Frieder Mayer
- Museum für Naturkunde, Leibniz-Institut für Evolutions und Biodiversitätsforschung, Invalidenstraße 43, 10115 Berlin, Germany
| | - Stephen J OBrien
- Laboratory of Genomics Diversity, Center for Computer Technologies, ITMO University, 49 Kronverkskiy Pr., St. Petersburg, 197101, Russian Federation; Guy Harvey Oceanographic Center, Halmos College of Arts and Sciences, Nova Southeastern University, 8000 North Ocean Drive, Ft Lauderdale, Florida 33004 USA
| | - Johanna von Seth
- Department of Bioinformatics and Genetics, Swedish Museum of Natural History, Stockholm, Sweden; Centre for Palaeogenetics, Svante Arrhenius väg 20C, 10691 Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, SE-10691 Stockholm, Sweden
| | | | - Göran Spong
- Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 907 83 UMEA, SWEDEN
| | - Olga Uphyrkina
- Federal Scientific Center of the East Asia Terrestrial Biodiversity, 159 Stoletiya Street, Vladivostok, 690022, Russia
| | - Bettina Wachter
- Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Alfred-Kowalke-Str. 17, 10315 Berlin, Germany
| | - Michael V Westbury
- Institute for Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, Karl-Liebknecht-Str. 24-25, 14476 Potsdam, Germany; GLOBE institute, University of Copenhagen, Oester Voldgade 5-7, 1350, Copenhagen K, Denmark
| | - Love Dalén
- Department of Bioinformatics and Genetics, Swedish Museum of Natural History, Stockholm, Sweden; Centre for Palaeogenetics, Svante Arrhenius väg 20C, 10691 Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, SE-10691 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Jong Bhak
- Korean Genomics Center (KOGIC), Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Ulsan, 44919, Republic of Korea; Clinomics, UNIST, Ulsan, 44919, Republic of Korea; Personal Genomics Institute, Genome Research Foundation, Cheongju, 28160, Republic of Korea
| | - Andrea Manica
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, UK
| | - Michael Hofreiter
- Institute for Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, Karl-Liebknecht-Str. 24-25, 14476 Potsdam, Germany
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Walton Z, Hagenlund M, Østbye K, Samelius G, Odden M, Norman A, Willebrand T, Spong G. Moving far, staying close: red fox dispersal patterns revealed by SNP genotyping. CONSERV GENET 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s10592-021-01332-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
AbstractThe genetic structure of a population can provide important insights into animal movements at varying geographical scales. Individual and social behaviors, such as philopatry and dispersal, affect patterns of relatedness, age and sex structure, shaping the local genetic structure of populations. However, these fine scale patterns may not be detected within broader population genetic structure. Using SNP genotyping for pairwise relatedness estimates, we investigated the spatial and genetic structuring of 141 red foxes within south-central Sweden at two scales. First, we looked at broad scale population structuring among red foxes at the regional level. We then estimated pairwise relatedness values to evaluate the spatial and genetic structure of male, female and mixed sex pairs for patterns of philopatry and dispersal at a more localized scale. We found limited genetic differentiation at the regional scale. However, local investigations revealed patterns of female philopatry and male biased dispersal. There were significant differences in pairwise geographic distances between highly related same sex pairs with the average distance between related males, 37.8 km, being six times farther than that of related females, averaging 6.3 km. In summary, the low levels of genetic differentiation found in this study illustrates the mobility and dispersal ability of red foxes across scales. However, relatedness plays a strong role in the spatial organization of red foxes locally, ultimately contributing to male biased dispersal patterns.
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Spitzer R, Norman AJ, Königsson H, Schiffthaler B, Spong G. De novo discovery of SNPs for genotyping endangered sun parakeets (Aratinga solstitialis) in Guyana. CONSERV GENET RESOUR 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s12686-020-01151-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Parrots (Psittaciformes) are among the most endangered groups of birds today and remain threatened by habitat loss and exploitation for the live bird trade. Under such conditions, reliable and non-invasive monitoring techniques are crucial for successful conservation measures. In this study, we developed a panel of 86 high quality SNPs for genotyping endangered sun parakeets (Aratinga solstitialis) in Guyana, which form one of the last known breeding populations of this South American species in the wild. Genotyping was tested on different types of samples (blood, feathers, feces, beak and cloacal swabs). While blood performed best, feathers and feces also yielded reliable results and could thus be used as non-invasive sources of DNA for future population monitoring. Discriminant Analysis of Principal Components (DAPC) on genotypes revealed that Guyanese sun parakeets clustered separately from other psittacine species as well as conspecifics from a captive population. A priori known first-order kinships were also adequately detected by the SNP panel. Using a series of experimental contaminations, we found that contamination from other psittacine species and slight contamination (~ 10%) from conspecifics did not prevent successful genotyping and recognition of individuals. We show that instances of higher conspecific contamination (~ 50%) can be detected through an increased level of heterozygosity that falls outside the distribution of uncontaminated samples.
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Spong G, Gould NP, Sahlén E, Cromsigt JPGM, Kindberg J, DePerno CS. Large-scale spatial variation of chronic stress signals in moose. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0225990. [PMID: 31929559 PMCID: PMC6957135 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0225990] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2018] [Accepted: 11/19/2019] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The physiological effects of short-term stress responses typically lead to increased individual survival as it prepares the body for fight or flight through catabolic reactions in the body. These physiological effects trade off against growth, immunocompetence, reproduction, and even long-term survival. Chronic stress may thus reduce individual and population performance, with direct implications for the management and conservation of wildlife populations. Yet, relatively little is known about how chronic stress levels vary across wild populations and factors contributing to increased chronic stress levels. One method to measure long-term stress in mammals is to quantify slowly incorporated stress hormone (cortisol) in hair, which most likely reflect a long-term average of the stress responses. In this study, we sampled 237 harvested moose Alces alces across Sweden to determine the relative effect of landscape variables and disturbances on moose hair cortisol levels. We used linear model combinations and Akaike’s Information Criterion (corrected for small sample sizes), and included variables related to human disturbance, ungulate competition, large carnivore density, and ambient temperature to estimate the covariates that best explained the variance in stress levels in moose. The most important variables explaining the variation in hair cortisol levels in moose were the long-term average temperature sum in the area moose lived and the distance to occupied wolf territory; higher hair cortisol levels were detected where temperatures were higher and closer to occupied wolf territories, respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Göran Spong
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Umeå, Sweden
- Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources, Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Biology Program, Raleigh, NC, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Nicholas P. Gould
- Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources, Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Biology Program, Raleigh, NC, United States of America
| | - Ellinor Sahlén
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Umeå, Sweden
- Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources, Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Biology Program, Raleigh, NC, United States of America
| | - Joris P. G. M. Cromsigt
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Umeå, Sweden
- Department of Zoology, Centre for African Conservation Ecology, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, Port Elizabeth, South Africa
| | - Jonas Kindberg
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Umeå, Sweden
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Christopher S. DePerno
- Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources, Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Biology Program, Raleigh, NC, United States of America
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Capo E, Spong G, Norman S, Königsson H, Bartels P, Byström P. Droplet digital PCR assays for the quantification of brown trout (Salmo trutta) and Arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus) from environmental DNA collected in the water of mountain lakes. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0226638. [PMID: 31851707 PMCID: PMC6919618 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0226638] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2019] [Accepted: 12/01/2019] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Classical methods for estimating the abundance of fish populations are often both expensive, time-consuming and destructive. Analyses of the environmental DNA (eDNA) present in water samples could alleviate such constraints. Here, we developed protocols to detect and quantify brown trout (Salmo trutta) and Arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus) populations by applying the droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) method to eDNA molecules extracted from water samples collected in 28 Swedish mountain lakes. Overall, contemporary fish CPUE (catch per unit effort) estimates from standardized survey gill nettings were not correlated to eDNA concentrations for either of the species. In addition, the measured environmental variables (e.g. dissolved organic carbon concentrations, temperature, and pH) appear to not influence water eDNA concentrations of the studied fish species. Detection probabilities via eDNA analysis showed moderate success (less than 70% for both species) while the presence of eDNA from Arctic char (in six lakes) and brown trout (in one lake) was also indicated in lakes where the species were not detected with the gillnetting method. Such findings highlight the limits of one or both methods to reliably detect fish species presence in natural systems. Additional analysis showed that the filtration of water samples through 1.2 μm glass fiber filters and 0.45 μm mixed cellulose ester filters was more efficient in recovering DNA than using 0.22 μm enclosed polyethersulfone filters, probably due to differential efficiencies of DNA extraction. Altogether, this work showed the potentials and limits of the approach for the detection and the quantification of fish abundance in natural systems while providing new insights in the application of the ddPCR method applied to environmental DNA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric Capo
- Department of Ecology and Environmental Science, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Göran Spong
- Molecular Ecology Group, Department of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental Studies, SLU, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Sven Norman
- Department of Ecology and Environmental Science, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Helena Königsson
- Molecular Ecology Group, Department of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental Studies, SLU, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Pia Bartels
- Department of Ecology and Environmental Science, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Pär Byström
- Department of Ecology and Environmental Science, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
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Creel S, Spong G, Becker M, Simukonda C, Norman A, Schiffthaler B, Chifunte C. Carnivores, competition and genetic connectivity in the Anthropocene. Sci Rep 2019; 9:16339. [PMID: 31705017 PMCID: PMC6841969 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-52904-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2019] [Accepted: 10/22/2019] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Current extinction rates are comparable to five prior mass extinctions in the earth’s history, and are strongly affected by human activities that have modified more than half of the earth’s terrestrial surface. Increasing human activity restricts animal movements and isolates formerly connected populations, a particular concern for the conservation of large carnivores, but no prior research has used high throughput sequencing in a standardized manner to examine genetic connectivity for multiple species of large carnivores and multiple ecosystems. Here, we used RAD SNP genotypes to test for differences in connectivity between multiple ecosystems for African wild dogs (Lycaon pictus) and lions (Panthera leo), and to test correlations between genetic distance, geographic distance and landscape resistance due to human activity. We found weaker connectivity, a stronger correlation between genetic distance and geographic distance, and a stronger correlation between genetic distance and landscape resistance for lions than for wild dogs, and propose a new hypothesis that adaptations to interspecific competition may help to explain differences in vulnerability to isolation by humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott Creel
- Department of Ecology, 310 Lewis Hall, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana, 59717, USA. .,Institutionen för Vilt, Fisk och Miljö, Sveriges Lantbruksuniversitet, Skogsmarksgränd, 907 36, Umeå, Sweden. .,Zambian Carnivore Programme, P.O.Box 90 Mfuwe, Eastern Province, Zambia.
| | - Göran Spong
- Institutionen för Vilt, Fisk och Miljö, Sveriges Lantbruksuniversitet, Skogsmarksgränd, 907 36, Umeå, Sweden.,Zambian Carnivore Programme, P.O.Box 90 Mfuwe, Eastern Province, Zambia.,Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Biology Program, Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources, North Carolina State University, 110 Brooks Ave, Raleigh, NC, 27607, USA
| | - Matthew Becker
- Zambian Carnivore Programme, P.O.Box 90 Mfuwe, Eastern Province, Zambia
| | - Chuma Simukonda
- Zambia Department of National Parks and Wildlife, Private Bag 1, Kafue Road, Chilanga, Zambia
| | - Anita Norman
- Institutionen för Vilt, Fisk och Miljö, Sveriges Lantbruksuniversitet, Skogsmarksgränd, 907 36, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Bastian Schiffthaler
- Artedigränd 7, Fysiologisk botanik, UPSC, Umeå universitet, 901 87, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Clive Chifunte
- Zambia Department of National Parks and Wildlife, Private Bag 1, Kafue Road, Chilanga, Zambia
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Giangregorio P, Norman AJ, Davoli F, Spong G. Testing a new SNP-chip on the Alpine and Apennine brown bear (Ursus arctos) populations using non-invasive samples. CONSERV GENET RESOUR 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s12686-018-1017-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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12
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Levänen R, Thulin CG, Spong G, Pohjoismäki JLO. Widespread introgression of mountain hare genes into Fennoscandian brown hare populations. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0191790. [PMID: 29370301 PMCID: PMC5784980 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0191790] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2017] [Accepted: 01/11/2018] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
In Fennoscandia, mountain hare (Lepus timidus) and brown hare (Lepus europaeus) hybridize and produce fertile offspring, resulting in gene flow across the species barrier. Analyses of maternally inherited mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) show that introgression occur frequently, but unavailability of appropriate nuclear DNA markers has made it difficult to evaluate the scale- and significance for the species. The extent of introgression has become important as the brown hare is continuously expanding its range northward, at the apparent expense of the mountain hare, raising concerns about possible competition. We report here, based on analysis of 6833 SNP markers, that the introgression is highly asymmetrical in the direction of gene flow from mountain hare to brown hare, and that the levels of nuclear gene introgression are independent of mtDNA introgression. While it is possible that brown hares obtain locally adapted alleles from the resident mountain hares, the low levels of mountain hare alleles among allopatric brown hares suggest that hybridization is driven by stochastic processes. Interspecific geneflow with the brown hare is unlikely to have major impacts on mountain hare in Fennoscandia, but direct competition may.
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Affiliation(s)
- Riikka Levänen
- Department of Environmental and Biological Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Joensuu, Finland
| | - Carl-Gustaf Thulin
- Molecular Ecology Group, Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Umeå, Sweden
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Biochemistry, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Göran Spong
- Molecular Ecology Group, Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Umeå, Sweden
- Forestry and Environmental Resources, College of Natural Resources, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Jaakko L. O. Pohjoismäki
- Department of Environmental and Biological Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Joensuu, Finland
- * E-mail:
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13
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Spitzer R, Norman AJ, Schneider M, Spong G. Estimating population size using single-nucleotide polymorphism-based pedigree data. Ecol Evol 2016; 6:3174-84. [PMID: 27096081 PMCID: PMC4829048 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.2076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2015] [Revised: 02/21/2016] [Accepted: 02/22/2016] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Reliable population estimates are an important aspect of sustainable wildlife management and conservation but can be difficult to obtain for rare and elusive species. Here, we test a new census method based on pedigree reconstruction recently developed by Creel and Rosenblatt (2013). Using a panel of 96 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), we genotyped fecal samples from two Swedish brown bear populations for pedigree reconstruction. Based on 433 genotypes from central Sweden (CS) and 265 from northern Sweden (NS), the population estimates (N = 630 for CS, N = 408 for NS) fell within the 95% CI of the official estimates. The precision and accuracy improved with increasing sampling intensity. Like genetic capture-mark-recapture methods, this method can be applied to data from a single sampling session. Pedigree reconstruction combined with noninvasive genetic sampling may thus augment population estimates, particularly for rare and elusive species for which sampling may be challenging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert Spitzer
- Wildlife Ecology GroupDepartment of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental StudiesSwedish University of Agricultural SciencesSE‐901 83UmeåSweden
| | - Anita J. Norman
- Molecular Ecology GroupDepartment of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental StudiesSwedish University of Agricultural SciencesSE‐901 83UmeåSweden
| | | | - Göran Spong
- Molecular Ecology GroupDepartment of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental StudiesSwedish University of Agricultural SciencesSE‐901 83UmeåSweden
- Forestry and Environmental ResourcesCollege of Natural ResourcesNorth Carolina State UniversityRaleigh27695North Carolina
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14
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Sahlén E, Noell S, DePerno CS, Kindberg J, Spong G, Cromsigt JPGM. Phantoms of the forest: legacy risk effects of a regionally extinct large carnivore. Ecol Evol 2016; 6:791-9. [PMID: 26865966 PMCID: PMC4739569 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.1866] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2015] [Revised: 11/03/2015] [Accepted: 11/07/2015] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The increased abundance of large carnivores in Europe is a conservation success, but the impact on the behavior and population dynamics of prey species is generally unknown. In Europe, the recolonization of large carnivores often occurs in areas where humans have greatly modified the landscape through forestry or agriculture. Currently, we poorly understand the effects of recolonizing large carnivores on extant prey species in anthropogenic landscapes. Here, we investigated if ungulate prey species showed innate responses to the scent of a regionally exterminated but native large carnivore, and whether the responses were affected by human-induced habitat openness. We experimentally introduced brown bear Ursus arctos scent to artificial feeding sites and used camera traps to document the responses of three sympatric ungulate species. In addition to controls without scent, reindeer scent Rangifer tarandus was used as a noncarnivore, novel control scent. Fallow deer Dama dama strongly avoided areas with bear scent. In the presence of bear scent, all ungulate species generally used open sites more than closed sites, whereas the opposite was observed at sites with reindeer scent or without scent. The opening of forest habitat by human practices, such as forestry and agriculture, creates a larger gradient in habitat openness than available in relatively unaffected closed forest systems, which may create opportunities for prey to alter their habitat selection and reduce predation risk in human-modified systems that do not exist in more natural forest systems. Increased knowledge about antipredator responses in areas subjected to anthropogenic change is important because these responses may affect prey population dynamics, lower trophic levels, and attitudes toward large carnivores. These aspects may be of particular relevance in the light of the increasing wildlife populations across much of Europe.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ellinor Sahlén
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences Skogsmarksgränd SE-901 83 Umeå Sweden; Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Biology Program Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources North Carolina State University 110 Brooks Ave Raleigh NC 27607
| | - Sonja Noell
- Department of Integrative Biology and Biodiversity Research Institute for Wildlife Biology and Game Management University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna Austria
| | - Christopher S DePerno
- Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Biology Program Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources North Carolina State University 110 Brooks Ave Raleigh NC 27607
| | - Jonas Kindberg
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences Skogsmarksgränd SE-901 83 Umeå Sweden
| | - Göran Spong
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences Skogsmarksgränd SE-901 83 Umeå Sweden; Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Biology Program Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources North Carolina State University 110 Brooks Ave Raleigh NC 27607
| | - Joris P G M Cromsigt
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences Skogsmarksgränd SE-901 83 Umeå Sweden; Department of Zoology Centre for African Conservation Ecology Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University PO Box 77000 Port Elizabeth 6031 South Africa
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15
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Abstract
Large herbivores may affect ecosystem processes and states, but such effects can be difficult to quantify, especially within multispecies assemblages. To better understand such processes and improve our predictive ability of systems undergoing change, herbivore diets can be studied using controlled feeding trials (or cafeteria tests). With some wildlife, such as large herbivores, it is impractical to empirically verify these findings, because it requires visually observing animals in forested environments, which can disturb them from their natural behaviors. Yet, in field-based cafeteria trials it is nearly impossible to differentiate selection between herbivore species that forage on similar plants and make very similar bite marks. However, during browsing ungulates leave saliva residue which includes some buccal cells and DNA that can be extracted for species identification. Here we used a newly developed eDNA-based method (biteDNA) to test the browsing preferences of four sympatric ungulate species in the wild. Overall, food preferences varied between species, but all species strongly preferred deciduous over coniferous species. Our method allows the study of plant-animal interactions in multispecies assemblages at very fine detail.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruth V Nichols
- Molecular Ecology Research Group, Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Skogsmarksgränd, 90183 Umeå, Sweden ; Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Santa Cruz (UCSC), Santa Cruz, CA 95064 USA
| | - Joris P G M Cromsigt
- Molecular Ecology Research Group, Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Skogsmarksgränd, 90183 Umeå, Sweden ; Department of Zoology, Centre for African Conservation Ecology, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, NMMU, PO Box 77000, Port Elizabeth, 6031 South Africa
| | - Göran Spong
- Molecular Ecology Research Group, Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Skogsmarksgränd, 90183 Umeå, Sweden ; Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology, College of Natural Resources, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695-7646 USA
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16
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Norman AJ, Spong G. Single nucleotide polymorphism-based dispersal estimates using noninvasive sampling. Ecol Evol 2015; 5:3056-65. [PMID: 26357536 PMCID: PMC4559049 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.1588] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2015] [Revised: 06/04/2015] [Accepted: 06/05/2015] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Quantifying dispersal within wild populations is an important but challenging task. Here we present a method to estimate contemporary, individual-based dispersal distance from noninvasively collected samples using a specialized panel of 96 SNPs (single nucleotide polymorphisms). One main issue in conducting dispersal studies is the requirement for a high sampling resolution at a geographic scale appropriate for capturing the majority of dispersal events. In this study, fecal samples of brown bear (Ursus arctos) were collected by volunteer citizens, resulting in a high sampling resolution spanning over 45,000 km2 in Gävleborg and Dalarna counties in Sweden. SNP genotypes were obtained for unique individuals sampled (n = 433) and subsequently used to reconstruct pedigrees. A Mantel test for isolation by distance suggests that the sampling scale was appropriate for females but not for males, which are known to disperse long distances. Euclidean distance was estimated between mother and offspring pairs identified through the reconstructed pedigrees. The mean dispersal distance was 12.9 km (SE 3.2) and 33.8 km (SE 6.8) for females and males, respectively. These results were significantly different (Wilcoxon’s rank-sum test: P-value = 0.02) and are in agreement with the previously identified pattern of male-biased dispersal. Our results illustrate the potential of using a combination of noninvasively collected samples at high resolution and specialized SNPs for pedigree-based dispersal models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anita J Norman
- Molecular Ecology Group, Department of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences SE-901 83, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Göran Spong
- Molecular Ecology Group, Department of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences SE-901 83, Umeå, Sweden
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17
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Nichols RV, Cromsigt JPGM, Spong G. DNA left on browsed twigs uncovers bite-scale resource use patterns in European ungulates. Oecologia 2014; 178:275-84. [PMID: 25543852 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-014-3196-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2014] [Accepted: 12/12/2014] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Fine-scale resource use by large herbivores is often difficult to quantify directly. This is particularly true for browsing ungulates due to the challenges in observing shy subjects in forested environments of low visibility. As a consequence we know relatively little about resource use by diverse browsing ungulates. When browsing, ungulates leave behind saliva on the browsed twig that includes their DNA, which can be used to identify the species that was responsible for browsing the twig. We used this method, which we term "biteDNA", to study bite-scale browsing patterns in a temperate ungulate community. This approach provides a level of detail in browsing patterns across species that was previously very hard to attain. We found that all deer species largely overlapped in terms of the tree species they used. Moose browsed larger diameters than red deer and roe deer, but these latter two species did not differ. Moose browsed at higher heights than red deer, and red deer higher than roe deer. Although the deer species differed in mean browsing height, species were comparable in terms of their minimum browsing height of ~20 cm. This means that height and diameter ranges of the smaller species were found to be completely inside the ranges of the larger species. Hence, while moose may access exclusive food resources in terms of browse height and diameter, red and roe deer cannot.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruth V Nichols
- Molecular Ecology Group, Department of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Skogsmarksgränd, 90183, Umeå, Sweden,
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18
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19
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Abstract
Ungulate browsing can have a strong effect on ecological processes by affecting plant community structure and composition, with cascading effects on nutrient cycling and animal communities. However, in the absence of direct observations of foraging, species-specific foraging behaviours are difficult to quantify. We therefore know relatively little about foraging competition and species-specific browsing patterns in systems with several browsers. However, during browsing, a small amount of saliva containing buccal cells is deposited at the bite site, providing a source of environmental DNA (eDNA) that can be used for species identification. Here, we describe extraction and PCR protocols for a browser species diagnostic kit. Species-specific primers for mitochondrial DNA were optimized and validated using twigs browsed by captive animals. A time series showed that about 50% of the samples will amplify up to 12 weeks after the browsing event and that some samples amplify up to 24 weeks after browsing (12.5%). Applied to samples of natural browsing from an area where moose (Alces alces), roe deer (Capreolus capreolus), fallow deer (Cervus dama) and red deer (Cervus elaphus) are sympatric, amplification success reached 75%. This method promises to greatly improve our understanding of multispecies browsing systems without the need for direct observations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruth V Nichols
- Department of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Umeå, Sweden.
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20
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Thulin CG, Englund L, Ericsson G, Spong G. The impact of founder events and introductions on genetic variation in the muskox Ovibos moschatus in Sweden. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2011. [DOI: 10.1007/s13364-011-0035-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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Russell AF, Young AJ, Spong G, Jordan NR, Clutton-Brock TH. Helpers increase the reproductive potential of offspring in cooperative meerkats. Proc Biol Sci 2007; 274:513-20. [PMID: 17476771 PMCID: PMC1766384 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2006.3698] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2006] [Accepted: 08/05/2006] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
In both animal and human societies, individuals may forego personal reproduction and provide care to the offspring of others. Studies aimed at investigating the adaptive nature of such cooperative breeding systems in vertebrates typically calculate helper 'fitness' from relationships of helper numbers and offspring survival to independence. The aim of this study is to use observations and supplemental feeding experiments in cooperatively breeding meerkats, Suricata suricatta, to investigate whether helpers influence the long-term reproductive potential of offspring during adulthood. We show that helpers have a significant and positive influence on the probability that offspring gain direct reproductive success in their lifetimes. This effect arises because helpers both reduce the age at which offspring begin to reproduce as subordinates and increase the probability that they will compete successfully for alpha rank. Supplemental feeding experiments confirm the causality of these results. Our results suggest that one can neither discount the significance of helper effects when none is found nor necessarily estimate accurately the fitness benefit that helpers accrue, unless their effects on offspring are considered in the long term.
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Affiliation(s)
- A F Russell
- Department of Animal & Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK.
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22
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Clutton-Brock TH, Hodge SJ, Spong G, Russell AF, Jordan NR, Bennett NC, Sharpe LL, Manser MB. Intrasexual competition and sexual selection in cooperative mammals. Nature 2007; 444:1065-8. [PMID: 17183322 DOI: 10.1038/nature05386] [Citation(s) in RCA: 255] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2006] [Accepted: 10/23/2006] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
In most animals, the sex that invests least in its offspring competes more intensely for access to the opposite sex and shows greater development of secondary sexual characters than the sex that invests most. However, in some mammals where females are the primary care-givers, females compete more frequently or intensely with each other than males. A possible explanation is that, in these species, the resources necessary for successful female reproduction are heavily concentrated and intrasexual competition for breeding opportunities is more intense among females than among males. Intrasexual competition between females is likely to be particularly intense in cooperative breeders where a single female monopolizes reproduction in each group. Here, we use data from a twelve-year study of wild meerkats (Suricata suricatta), where females show high levels of reproductive skew, to show that females gain greater benefits from acquiring dominant status than males and traits that increase competitive ability exert a stronger influence on their breeding success. Females that acquire dominant status also develop a suite of morphological, physiological and behavioural characteristics that help them to control other group members. Our results show that sex differences in parental investment are not the only mechanism capable of generating sex differences in reproductive competition and emphasize the extent to which competition for breeding opportunities between females can affect the evolution of sex differences and the operation of sexual selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- T H Clutton-Brock
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, UK.
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Spong G, Stone J, Creel S, Björklund M. Genetic structure of lions (Panthera leoL.) in the Selous Game Reserve: implications for the evolution of sociality. J Evol Biol 2002. [DOI: 10.1046/j.1420-9101.2002.00473.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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Abstract
Dispersal is one of the most important factors determining the genetic structure of a population, but good data on dispersal distances are rare because it is difficult to observe a large sample of dispersal events. However, genetic data contain unbiased information about the average dispersal distances in species with a strong sex bias in their dispersal rates. By plotting the genetic similarity between members of the philopatric sex against some measure of the distance between them, the resulting regression line can be used for estimating how far dispersing individuals of the opposite sex have moved before settling. Dispersers showing low genetic similarity to members of the opposite sex will on average have originated from further away. Applying this method to a microsatellite dataset from lions (Panthera leo) shows that their average dispersal distance is 1.3 home ranges with a 95% confidence interval of 0.4-3.0 home ranges. These results are consistent with direct observations of dispersal from our study population and others. In this case, direct observations of dispersal distance were not detectably biased by a failure to detect long-range dispersal, which is thought to be a common problem in the estimation of dispersal distance.
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Affiliation(s)
- G Spong
- Department of Animal Ecology, Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University, Norbyvagen 18D, SE-752 36 Uppsala, Sweden.
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Abstract
In this paper we employ recently developed statistical and molecular tools to analyse the population history of the Tanzanian leopard (Panthera pardus), a large solitary felid. Because of their solitary lifestyle little is known of their past or present population dynamics. Eighty-one individuals were scored at 18 microsatellite loci. Overall, levels of heterozygosity were high (0.77 +/- 0.03), with a small heterozygote deficiency (0.06 +/- 0.03). Effective population size (Ne) was calculated to be 38 000-48 000. A Ne:N ratio of 0.42 (average from four cat studies) gives a present population size of about 100 000 leopards in Tanzania. Four different bottleneck tests indicated that this population has been large and stable for a minimum of several thousand years. FST values were low and no significant genetic structuring of the population could be detected. This concurs well with the large migration values (Nm) obtained (>3.3 individuals/generation). Our analysis reveals that ecological factors (e.g. disease), which are known to have had major impact on other carnivore populations, are unlikely to have impacted strongly on the population dynamics of Tanzanian leopards. The explanation may be found in their solitary life-style, their often nonconfrontational behaviour toward interspecific competitors, or that any bottlenecks have been of limited size, localized, or too short to have affected genetic variation to any measurable degree. Since the genetic structuring is weak, gene flow is not restricted to within protected areas. Local loss of genetic variation is therefore not of immediate concern.
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Affiliation(s)
- G Spong
- Department of Animal Ecology, Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18D, SE-752 36 Uppsala, Sweden.
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