Projecting introgression from domestic cats into European wildcats in the Swiss Jura

Abstract

Hybridization between wild and domesticated organisms is a worldwide conservation issue. In the Jura Mountains, threatened European wildcats (Felis silvestris) have been demographically spreading for approximately the last 50 years, but this recovery is coupled with hybridization with domestic cats (Felis catus). Here, we project the pattern of future introgression using different spatially explicit scenarios to model the interactions between the two species, including competition and different population sizes. We project the fast introgression of domestic cat genes into the wildcat population under all scenarios if hybridization is not severely restricted. If the current hybridization rate and population sizes remain unchanged, we expect the loss of genetic distinctiveness between wild and domestic cats at neutral nuclear, mitochondrial and Y chromosome markers in one hundred years. However, scenarios involving a competitive advantage for wildcats and a future increase in the wildcat population size project a slower increase in introgression. We recommend that future studies assess the fitness of these hybrids and better characterize their ecological niche and their ecological interactions with parental species to elucidate effective conservation measures.

On the use of genome‐wide data to model and date the time of anthropogenic hybridisation: An example from the Scottish wildcat

“…In this regard, our study support the conclusions of recent studies of hybridisation (McFarlane et al, 2021;Quilodrán et al, 2020).…”

“…Population sizes remain constant throughout the simulation; we did not model any fluctuations in wildcat population size (e.g., recent population expansion), and we did not model a decline in the wildcat population as a direct result of hybridisation. Furthermore, unlike Quilodrán et al (2020), we did not consider a spatial model for hybridisation. Previous analysis indicates a complex and patchy pattern of hybridisation, difficult to model on a large scale (Kilshaw et al, 2016; Senn et al, 2019).…”

“…This appears to contrast with the estimate of one wildcat to six unneutered hybrids reported by Breitenmoser et al (2019); however, it should be noted that these hybrids will not be exclusively F 1 s and will have lines of descent from the domestic population extending over many generations. Quilodrán et al (2020), using a forward simulating approach to model introgression in the Swiss Jura wildcat population, estimated the rate of introgression to be 6%. At this lower rate of introgression, it took 26 generations for the wildcat population to become 50% introgressed.…”

Genome-Scale Phylogenetic and Population Genetic Studies Provide Insight Into Introgression and Adaptive Evolution of Takifugu Species in East Asia

“…Adaptive radiation leadsP to the evolution of different species with diverse ecological features and phenotypes within a rapidly multiplying lineage. Hybridization and gene introgression are the two main driving forces of adaptive radiation ( Schluter, 2000 ) since they increase genetic diversity and enhance the ability of a species to quickly occupy a new ecological niche ( Marsden et al, 2011 ; Todesco et al, 2016 ; Quilodrán et al, 2020 ). Conversely, hybridization is also considered as “genetic pollution,” which will accelerate the extinction of native species ( Simon et al, 2020 ).…”

Harmonizing hybridization dissonance in conservation

“…Hybridization between wild and domesticated organisms is a worldwide problem of conservation. For instance, the main current threat for the persistence of European wildcats (Felis silvestris) is the hybridization with domestic cats (Felis catus) 63,64 . Domestic cats were originally domesticated from a wildcat inhabiting the Near East (Felis lybica), but they are genetically distinct to all current F. lybica subspecies 65 .…”