Characterizing the elusive Vancouver Island wolverine, Gulo gulo vancouverensis , using historical DNA
Abstract The wolverine (Gulo gulo) is a Holarctic species found in North America primarily across the boreal forest, the subarctic, and along the Pacific coast, including Vancouver Island (VI), British Columbia. While wolverines on VI are rare and possibly extirpated, they have been previously descr...
Published in: | Journal of Mammalogy |
---|---|
Main Authors: | , , , |
Other Authors: | , , , |
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
Published: |
Oxford University Press (OUP)
2021
|
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/jmammal/gyaa175 http://academic.oup.com/jmammal/article-pdf/102/2/530/38575315/gyaa175.pdf |
id |
croxfordunivpr:10.1093/jmammal/gyaa175 |
---|---|
record_format |
openpolar |
spelling |
croxfordunivpr:10.1093/jmammal/gyaa175 2023-09-26T15:18:35+02:00 Characterizing the elusive Vancouver Island wolverine, Gulo gulo vancouverensis , using historical DNA Hessels, Evan W Lofroth, Eric C Weir, Richard D Gorrell, Jamieson C Jezkova, Tereza VIU REACH VIU Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada 2021 http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/jmammal/gyaa175 http://academic.oup.com/jmammal/article-pdf/102/2/530/38575315/gyaa175.pdf en eng Oxford University Press (OUP) https://academic.oup.com/journals/pages/open_access/funder_policies/chorus/standard_publication_model Journal of Mammalogy volume 102, issue 2, page 530-540 ISSN 0022-2372 1545-1542 Nature and Landscape Conservation Genetics Animal Science and Zoology Ecology Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics journal-article 2021 croxfordunivpr https://doi.org/10.1093/jmammal/gyaa175 2023-08-25T11:33:45Z Abstract The wolverine (Gulo gulo) is a Holarctic species found in North America primarily across the boreal forest, the subarctic, and along the Pacific coast, including Vancouver Island (VI), British Columbia. While wolverines on VI are rare and possibly extirpated, they have been previously described as a unique subspecies, G. g. vancouverensis, distinct from G. g. luscus from the mainland of North America. However, the validity of the VI subspecies is contentious, with conflicting results from studies of skull morphology. Here, we used molecular analyses to characterize the genetic diversity of the VI population and resolve this taxonomic debate to assist with conservation priorities. Historical DNA of VI wolverines was obtained from museum specimens, amplified at 16 nuclear microsatellite loci, and sequenced at the mitochondrial D-loop control region to compare with wolverines from mainland British Columbia. The VI population had lower allelic richness and was fixed for a single common mtDNA haplotype. Bayesian and non-Bayesian assignments using microsatellites generally revealed admixture across populations, implying allele frequencies between the VI and mainland populations were not significantly different. Hence, both types of genetic markers showed little evolutionary divergence between VI and the mainland population. Combined, these results do not provide evidence of significant genetic distinction for VI wolverines, nor support the subspecific classification. Immediate conservation efforts should focus on estimating population size, while future conservation planning can assume VI wolverines likely are not a unique genetic population and there remains the potential for natural recolonization of wolverines to VI. Article in Journal/Newspaper Gulo gulo Subarctic wolverine Oxford University Press (via Crossref) Pacific Journal of Mammalogy 102 2 530 540 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Oxford University Press (via Crossref) |
op_collection_id |
croxfordunivpr |
language |
English |
topic |
Nature and Landscape Conservation Genetics Animal Science and Zoology Ecology Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics |
spellingShingle |
Nature and Landscape Conservation Genetics Animal Science and Zoology Ecology Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics Hessels, Evan W Lofroth, Eric C Weir, Richard D Gorrell, Jamieson C Characterizing the elusive Vancouver Island wolverine, Gulo gulo vancouverensis , using historical DNA |
topic_facet |
Nature and Landscape Conservation Genetics Animal Science and Zoology Ecology Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics |
description |
Abstract The wolverine (Gulo gulo) is a Holarctic species found in North America primarily across the boreal forest, the subarctic, and along the Pacific coast, including Vancouver Island (VI), British Columbia. While wolverines on VI are rare and possibly extirpated, they have been previously described as a unique subspecies, G. g. vancouverensis, distinct from G. g. luscus from the mainland of North America. However, the validity of the VI subspecies is contentious, with conflicting results from studies of skull morphology. Here, we used molecular analyses to characterize the genetic diversity of the VI population and resolve this taxonomic debate to assist with conservation priorities. Historical DNA of VI wolverines was obtained from museum specimens, amplified at 16 nuclear microsatellite loci, and sequenced at the mitochondrial D-loop control region to compare with wolverines from mainland British Columbia. The VI population had lower allelic richness and was fixed for a single common mtDNA haplotype. Bayesian and non-Bayesian assignments using microsatellites generally revealed admixture across populations, implying allele frequencies between the VI and mainland populations were not significantly different. Hence, both types of genetic markers showed little evolutionary divergence between VI and the mainland population. Combined, these results do not provide evidence of significant genetic distinction for VI wolverines, nor support the subspecific classification. Immediate conservation efforts should focus on estimating population size, while future conservation planning can assume VI wolverines likely are not a unique genetic population and there remains the potential for natural recolonization of wolverines to VI. |
author2 |
Jezkova, Tereza VIU REACH VIU Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Hessels, Evan W Lofroth, Eric C Weir, Richard D Gorrell, Jamieson C |
author_facet |
Hessels, Evan W Lofroth, Eric C Weir, Richard D Gorrell, Jamieson C |
author_sort |
Hessels, Evan W |
title |
Characterizing the elusive Vancouver Island wolverine, Gulo gulo vancouverensis , using historical DNA |
title_short |
Characterizing the elusive Vancouver Island wolverine, Gulo gulo vancouverensis , using historical DNA |
title_full |
Characterizing the elusive Vancouver Island wolverine, Gulo gulo vancouverensis , using historical DNA |
title_fullStr |
Characterizing the elusive Vancouver Island wolverine, Gulo gulo vancouverensis , using historical DNA |
title_full_unstemmed |
Characterizing the elusive Vancouver Island wolverine, Gulo gulo vancouverensis , using historical DNA |
title_sort |
characterizing the elusive vancouver island wolverine, gulo gulo vancouverensis , using historical dna |
publisher |
Oxford University Press (OUP) |
publishDate |
2021 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/jmammal/gyaa175 http://academic.oup.com/jmammal/article-pdf/102/2/530/38575315/gyaa175.pdf |
geographic |
Pacific |
geographic_facet |
Pacific |
genre |
Gulo gulo Subarctic wolverine |
genre_facet |
Gulo gulo Subarctic wolverine |
op_source |
Journal of Mammalogy volume 102, issue 2, page 530-540 ISSN 0022-2372 1545-1542 |
op_rights |
https://academic.oup.com/journals/pages/open_access/funder_policies/chorus/standard_publication_model |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1093/jmammal/gyaa175 |
container_title |
Journal of Mammalogy |
container_volume |
102 |
container_issue |
2 |
container_start_page |
530 |
op_container_end_page |
540 |
_version_ |
1778141153447641088 |