Dispersal, gene flow, and population genetic structure in the pygmy rabbit (Brachylagus idahoensis)

نویسندگان

  • WENDY A. ESTES-ZUMPF
  • JANET L. RACHLOW
  • LISETTE P. WAITS
  • KENNETH I. WARHEIT
چکیده

Dispersal and gene flow are significant components of metapopulation structure and dynamics. We examined gene flow in the pygmy rabbit (Brachylagus idahoensis), a sagebrush specialist that occurs in small, isolated populations in the Great Basin region and is believed to have limited dispersal abilities. We examined genetic diversity, gene flow, and population genetic structure, and investigated the effects of putative barriers to gene flow in 8 sample locations within 2 study areas in Idaho during 2002–2006. Potential barriers included secondary roads, highways, creeks, and agricultural pastures. Distance between sample locations ranged from 0.5 to 32 km. We expected that gene flow would be limited and that moderate levels of genetic structure would be apparent among sample locations separated by barriers and distances over several kilometers. However, analyses based on 15 microsatellite loci from 239 rabbits revealed low to moderate levels of genetic differentiation among sample locations. Bayesian cluster analyses suggested that sample locations separated by ,14 km comprised 1 genetic cluster with high levels of gene flow among sample locations within clusters. We documented no significant evidence of a sex bias in dispersal based on sex-specific FST among sample locations, and relatedness (r), mean assignment index (mAI), and variance of assignment index (vAI) within sample locations; however, spatial autocorrelation suggested that juvenile females might disperse farther than males. These results indicate that dispersal capabilities of pygmy rabbits greatly exceed previous estimates, and that creeks and roads were not effective barriers to gene flow in our study areas. DOI: 10.1644/09-MAMM-A032R.1.

برای دانلود رایگان متن کامل این مقاله و بیش از 32 میلیون مقاله دیگر ابتدا ثبت نام کنید

ثبت نام

اگر عضو سایت هستید لطفا وارد حساب کاربری خود شوید

منابع مشابه

PERMANENT GENETIC RESOURCES: Ten polymorphic microsatellite markers for the pygmy rabbit (Brachylagus idahoensis).

We developed 10 polymorphic microsatellite loci for the pygmy rabbit (Brachylagus idahoensis). Nine of the 10 loci amplified reliably and had a low frequency of null alleles. Number of alleles per locus ranged from four to 12, and observed and expected heterozygosities ranged from 0.26 to 0.89 and from 0.63 to 0.88, respectively. These loci will be useful in determining population genetic struc...

متن کامل

Mycobacterium avium in pygmy rabbits (Brachylagus idahoensis): 28 cases.

The Columbia basin subpopulation of pygmy rabbit Brachylagus idahoensis was listed as endangered by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service in November 2001, and no pygmy rabbits have been seen in the wild since spring 2002. Captive propagation efforts have attempted to increase population size in preparation for reintroduction of animals into central Washington. Disseminated mycobacteriosi...

متن کامل

Pathogenic New Species of Eimeria from the Pygmy Rabbit, Brachylagus idahoensis, in Washington and Oregon, with Description of the Sporulated Oocyst and Intestinal Endogenous Stages

In January 2003, fecal samples from 13 live pygmy rabbits, Brachylagus idahoensis (Merriam, 1891), were collected at the Oregon Zoo in Portland, Oregon, and sent to the University of New Mexico (UNM), Albuquerque, New Mexico, to be examined for coccidia. In July 2004, 14 more fecal samples were collected and sent to UNM, 6 from some of the same rabbits and 8 from 16 other rabbits (4 were pooled...

متن کامل

Habitat Relations Movements and Settlement Site Selection of Pygmy Rabbits After Experimental Translocation

We investigated the movements and selection of settlement sites of translocated pygmy rabbits (Brachylagus idahoensis) in southeastern Oregon from June to December 2008. We captured, radio tagged, and translocated 59 pygmy rabbits across big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata ssp.) habitat with 3 categories of landscape fragmentation. We used radio telemetry to track the movements and document the...

متن کامل

A pathogenic new species of Eimeria from the pygmy rabbit, Brachylagus idahoensis, in Washington and Oregon, with description of the sporulated oocyst and intestinal endogenous stages.

In January 2003, fecal samples from 13 live pygmy rabbits, Brachylagus idahoensis (Merriam, 1891), were collected at the Oregon Zoo in Portland, Oregon, and sent to the University of New Mexico (UNM), Albuquerque, New Mexico, to be examined for coccidia. In July 2004, 14 more fecal samples were collected and sent to UNM, 6 from some of the same rabbits and 8 from 16 other rabbits (4 were pooled...

متن کامل

ذخیره در منابع من


  با ذخیره ی این منبع در منابع من، دسترسی به آن را برای استفاده های بعدی آسان تر کنید

عنوان ژورنال:

دوره   شماره 

صفحات  -

تاریخ انتشار 2010