Short-term variations in gene flow related to cyclic density fluctuations in the common vole.

• Published in: Molecular Ecology
• Main Authors: Gauffre, Bertrand, Berthier, Karine, Inchausti, Pablo, Chaval, Yannick, Bretagnolle, Vincent, Cosson, Jean-François
• Other Authors: Centre d'Études Biologiques de Chizé - UMR 7372 (CEBC), Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA)-La Rochelle Université (ULR)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Unité de Pathologie Végétale (PV), Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA), Centro Universtario Regional de Este, Universidad de la República Montevideo (UDELAR), Centre de Biologie pour la Gestion des Populations (UMR CBGP), Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement (Cirad)-Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA)-Centre international d'études supérieures en sciences agronomiques (Montpellier SupAgro)-Université de Montpellier (UM)-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD France-Sud )-Institut national d’études supérieures agronomiques de Montpellier (Montpellier SupAgro), INRA (ECOGER national program; grant from ACI ECCO
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: HAL CCSD 2014
• Subjects: Microtus arvalis; spatial genetic structure; migration; genetic diversity; cyclic rodent populations; Gene flow; [SDE]Environmental Sciences; Common vole
• Online Access: https://hal.science/hal-01003396; https://doi.org/10.1111/mec.12818

International audience : In highly fluctuating populations with complex social systems genetic patterns are likely to vary in space and time due to demographic and behavioural processes. Cyclic rodents are extreme examples of demographically instable populations that often exhibit strong social organisation. In such populations, kin structure and spacing behaviour may vary with density fluctuations and impact both the composition and spatial structure of genetic diversity. In this study, we analysed the multiannual genetic structure of a cyclic rodent, Microtus arvalis, using a sample of 875 individuals trapped over three complete cycles (from 1999 to 2007) and genotyped at 10 microsatellite loci. We tested the predictions that genetic diversity and gene flow intensity vary with density fluctuations. We found evidences for both spatial scale-dependant variations in genetic diversity and higher gene flow during high density. Moreover, investigation of sex-specific relatedness patterns revealed that, although dispersal is biased toward males in this species, distances moved by both sexes were lengthened during high density. Altogether, these results suggest that an increase of migration with density allows to restore the local loss of genetic diversity occurring during low density. We then postulate that this change in migration results from local competition, which enhances female colonisation of empty spaces and male dispersal among colonies. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.