Physiological vagility and its relationship to dispersal and neutral genetic heterogeneity in vertebrates

Abstract

Vagility is the inherent power of movement by individuals. Vagility and the available duration of movement determine the dispersal distance individuals can move to interbreed, which affects the fine-scale genetic structure of vertebrate populations. Vagility and variation in population genetic structure are normally explained by geographic variation and not by the inherent power of movement by individuals. We present a new, quantitative definition for physiological vagility that incorporates aerobic capacity, body size, body temperature and the metabolic cost of transport, variables that are independent of the physical environment. Physiological vagility is the speed at which an animal can move sustainably based on these parameters. This metaanalysis tests whether this definition of physiological vagility correlates with empirical data for maximal dispersal distances and measured microsatellite genetic differentiation with distance {[F ST /[1−F ST )]/ln distance} for amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals utilizing three locomotor modes (running, flying, swimming). Maximal dispersal distance and physiological vagility increased with body mass for amphibians, reptiles and mammals utilizing terrestrial movement. The relative slopes of these relationships indicate that larger individuals require longer movement durations to achieve maximal dispersal distances. Both physiological vagility and maximal dispersal distance were independent of body mass for flying vertebrates. Genetic differentiation with distance was greatest for terrestrial locomotion, with amphibians showing the greatest mean and variance in differentiation. Flying birds, flying mammals and swimming marine mammals showed the least differentiation. Mean physiological vagility of different groups (class and locomotor mode) accounted for 98% of the mean variation in genetic differentiation with distance in each group. Genetic differentiation with distance was not related to body mass. The physiological capacity for movement (physiological vagility) quantitatively predicts genetic isolation by distance in the vertebrates examined. KEY WORDS: Vagility, Dispersal and body mass, Genetic isolation by distance, Meta-analysis, Microsatellites INTRODUCTIONEvolution can be defined as a change in allele frequencies within a population over time. The mechanisms responsible for changes in genetic variation over time are important for understanding biological variation and evolution. Mutations that convey a selective advantage to an organism, whether physiological or morphological, are predicted to be perpetuated by natural selection. What is less clear is how to mechanistically explain genetic variation of selectively neutral mutations such as microsatellites. Genetic variation of neutral microsatellite loci is the most common technique used to evaluate population genetic structure (Jehle and Arntzen, 2002). One explanation to account for variation of microsatellite loci and increased meta-population structure is low gene flow. Reduced gene flow creates ge...

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