Genetic Structure of Sensitive and Endangered Northwestern Badger Populations (Taxidea Taxus Taxus and T. T. Jeffersonii)

Kyle, Christopher J.; Weir, Richard D.; Newhouse, Nancy J.; Davis, Helen; Strobeck, Curtis

doi:10.1644/brb-129

Cited by 12 publications

(20 citation statements)

References 28 publications

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“…For both markers and consistently among analyses, we observed clear genetic differentiation of TO and ON badgers from other sampling regions. The increasing genetic differentiation towards the periphery was in agreement with previous studies using microsatellites (Kyle et al., ) and mtDNA (Ethier et al., ). Based on mtDNA, there was clear genetic differentiation between EK and T. t. taxus , whereas UP was genetically more similar to T. t. taxus than to T. t. jacksoni, and thus, UP badgers were re‐designated as T. t. taxus (Ethier et al., ).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 92%

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Spatial patterns of immunogenetic and neutral variation underscore the conservation value of small, isolated American badger populations

Rico

Ethier

Davy

et al. 2016

Evolutionary Applications

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Small and isolated populations often exhibit low genetic diversity due to drift and inbreeding, but may simultaneously harbour adaptive variation. We investigate spatial distributions of immunogenetic variation in American badger subspecies (Taxidea taxus), as a proxy for evaluating their evolutionary potential across the northern extent of the species’ range. We compared genetic structure of 20 microsatellites and the major histocompatibility complex (MHC DRB exon 2) to evaluate whether small, isolated populations show low adaptive polymorphism relative to large and well‐connected populations. Our results suggest that gene flow plays a prominent role in shaping MHC polymorphism across large spatial scales, while the interplay between gene flow and selection was stronger towards the northern peripheries. The similarity of MHC alleles within subspecies relative to their neutral genetic differentiation suggests that adaptive divergence among subspecies can be maintained despite ongoing gene flow along subspecies boundaries. Neutral genetic diversity was low in small relative to large populations, but MHC diversity within individuals was high in small populations. Despite reduced neutral genetic variation, small and isolated populations harbour functional variation that likely contribute to the species evolutionary potential at the northern range. Our findings suggest that conservation approaches should focus on managing adaptive variation across the species range rather than protecting subspecies per se.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 92%

“…This ON population is most closely related to T. t. jacksoni in the Lower Peninsula (LP) of Michigan. The most peripheral western and eastern populations (TO and ON) are also the most genetically differentiated (Ethier et al., ; Kyle et al., ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Spatial patterns of immunogenetic and neutral variation underscore the conservation value of small, isolated American badger populations

Rico

Ethier

Davy

et al. 2016

Evolutionary Applications

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“…Mountain ranges were not complete barriers to badger gene flow in Canadian populations (Kyle et al . ; Ethier et al . ), even though the studied populations were small (census sizes less than 200 individuals; COSEWIC ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

High gene flow in the American badger overrides habitat preferences and limits broadscale genetic structure

Kierepka

Latch

2016

Molecular Ecology

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Habitat associations are a function of habitat preferences and dispersal capabilities, both of which can influence how species responded to Quaternary climatic changes and contemporary habitat heterogeneity. Predicting resultant genetic structure is not always straightforward, especially in species where high dispersal potential and habitat preferences yield opposing predictions. The American badger has high dispersal capabilities that predict widespread panmixia, but avoids closed‐canopy forests and clay soils, which could restrict gene flow and create ecologically based population genetic structure. We used mitochondrial sequence and microsatellite data sets to characterize how these opposing forces contribute to genetic structure in badgers at a continent‐wide scale. Our data revealed an overall lack of ecologically based population genetic structure, suggesting that high dispersal capabilities were sufficiently realized to overcome most habitat‐based genetic structure. At a broadscale, badger gene flow is limited only by geographic distance (isolation by distance) and large water barriers (Lake Michigan and the Mississippi River). The absence of genetic structure in a species with strong avoidance of unsuitable habitats advances our understanding of when and how genetic structure emerges in widespread, highly mobile species.

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“…Other studies of mustelid species spanning large geographic regions have often employed microsatellites developed in other species, making direct comparisons more difficult. Nevertheless, North American wolverines ( Gulo gulo , n = 671, A = 4.6, H E = 0.61; Kyle & Strobeck 2002), American badgers ( Taxidea taxus, n = 133, A = 9.9, H E = 0.77; Kyle et al . 2004), extant sea otters ( Enhydra lutris , n = 174, A = 12.8, H E = 0.47; Larson et al .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Isolation by distance and gene flow in the Eurasian badger (Meles meles) at both a local and broad scale

Pope

Domingo‐Roura²,

Erven

et al. 2005

Molecular Ecology

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Eurasian badgers, Meles meles, have been shown to possess limited genetic population structure within Europe; however, field studies have detected high levels of philopatry, which are expected to increase population structure. Population structure will be a consequence of both contemporary dispersal and historical processes, each of which is expected to be evident at a different scale. Therefore, to gain a greater understanding of gene flow in the badger, we examined microsatellite diversity both among and within badger populations, focusing on populations from the British Isles and western Europe. We found that while populations differed in their allelic diversity, the British Isles displayed a similar degree of diversity to the rest of western Europe. The lower genetic diversity occurring in Ireland, Norway and Scotland was more likely to have resulted from founder effects rather than contemporary population density. While there was significant population structure (F ST = 0.19), divergence among populations was generally well explained by geographic distance (P < 0.0001) across the entire range studied of more than 3000 km. Transient effects from the Pleistocene appear to have been replaced by a strong pattern of genetic isolation by distance across western Europe, suggestive of colonization from a single refugium. Analysis of individuals within British populations through Mantel tests and spatial autocorrelation demonstrated that there was significant local population structure across 3-30 km, confirming that dispersal is indeed restricted. The isolation by distance observed among badger populations across western Europe is likely to be a consequence of this restricted local dispersal.

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Genetic Structure of Sensitive and Endangered Northwestern Badger Populations (Taxidea Taxus Taxus and T. T. Jeffersonii)

Cited by 12 publications

References 28 publications

Spatial patterns of immunogenetic and neutral variation underscore the conservation value of small, isolated American badger populations

Spatial patterns of immunogenetic and neutral variation underscore the conservation value of small, isolated American badger populations

High gene flow in the American badger overrides habitat preferences and limits broadscale genetic structure

Isolation by distance and gene flow in the Eurasian badger (Meles meles) at both a local and broad scale

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