Patterns of differentiation among wild rabbit populations Oryctolagus cuniculus L. in arid and semiarid ecosystems of north‐eastern Australia

Abstract

Feral rabbit populations in Australia have generally been managed using localized control procedures. While these procedures may result in local extinctions, persistence of populations will depend on the probability of recolonization. Genetic markers developed using temperature gradient gel electrophoresis (TGGE) combined with heteroduplex analysis (HA) of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) were used to characterize the degree of subdivision and extent of gene flow within and among rabbit populations distributed over large distances (up to 1000 km) in southern Queensland (QLD) and north-west New South Wales (NSW), Australia. TGGE analyses revealed significant heterogeneity in mtDNA control region haplotype frequencies. From heterogeneity chi 2 tests, it was evident that the differentiation observed was largely attributable to five sites which were located in the semiarid eastern region, whereas haplotype frequencies were homogeneous throughout the arid western region. These results suggest that there are independent population systems within the study area. The extent of gene flow among local populations within each system is related to the spatial configuration of acceptable habitat patches and the persistence of the populations is determined by the probability of recolonization following local extinction. These data suggest that to provide better overall control of rabbit populations, different management strategies may be necessary in arid and semiarid ecosystems. In arid south-west QLD and north-west NSW, where extensive gene flow occurs over large distances, rabbit populations should be managed at a regional level. In semiarid eastern QLD, where gene flow is restricted and populations are more isolated, localized control procedures may provide effective short-term relief. These results indicate that in nonequilibrium systems with patchy distribution of individuals, the interpretation of migration rate from estimates of gene flow obtained using existing genetic models must include an understanding of the spatial and temporal scales over which population processes operate.

Diversity assessment among native Middle Egypt rabbit populations in North Upper-Egypt province by microsatellite polymorphism

“…same group. Geographical isolation was found for wild rabbits (Fuller et al, 1997;Carneiro et al, 2013;Alda and Doadrio, 2014). In this study, we confirmed the spatial representation of the genetic inter-individual distances using the FCA analysis (Figure 3).…”

“…Rabbit production by small-scale farmers plays an important role in solving the meat shortage problem in Egypt, (Galal and Khalil, 1994). Local Egyptian rabbit breeds were created by selecting lines of rabbits for meat production (Egyptian Red Baladi, ERB; Egyptian Black Baladi, EBB and Egyptian White Baladi, EBW).…”

Fine‐scale genetic structuring in a natural population of European wild rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus)

“…This is illustrated by a comparison of different habitat types in Australia. Rabbit populations in an arid region of Queensland, where population crashes are common, show no genetic differentiation and high levels of gene flow over 1600 km 2 , but after moving into a semiarid ecosystem, populations become more genetically structured (Fuller et al 1997). So we may conclude that in favourable, stable conditions, such as those experienced in the UK, strict, stable, social organization develops, leading to the fine‐scale genetic structuring observed in this study.…”

“…B. J. Richardson (personal communication) also reported that adult members of local populations of the European wild rabbit in Australia constitute a genetically homogeneous group, despite the high degree of observed social structuring. Recent work in Australia using mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) markers has shown that the degree of localized genetic structuring can depend on habitat stability (Fuller et al 1997).…”

Genome Scale Evolution of Myxoma Virus Reveals Host-Pathogen Adaptation and Rapid Geographic Spread

“…Indeed, our phylogeographic analysis clearly shows that viruses from geographically disjunct regions of Australia can still be remarkably closely related, indicative of frequent viral traffic. The success of MYXV and, subsequently, rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV) as biological controls, combined with changes in land management, means that modern rabbit populations are likely to be less connected than in 1950 (51,52). The key vectors for viral transmission are the mosquito, which is predominantly a spring to autumn vector and requires water for breeding, and rabbit fleas, Spilopsyllus cuniculi (in temperate Australia) and Xenopsylla cunicularis (in arid Australia), which were introduced into Australia in 1970 and 1994, respectively.…”