Population differentiation in the dingo: biogeography and molecular ecology of the Australian Native Dog using maternal, paternal and autosomal genetic markers

• Main Author: Cairns, Kylie
• Format: Doctoral or Postdoctoral Thesis
• Language: unknown
• Published: UNSW Sydney 2014
• Subjects: Population genetics; Canis dingo; Canis lupus familaris; Phylogeography; NGSD; Conservation genetics; Queensland; Fraser Island; Canis lupus
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.26190/unsworks/17323; http://hdl.handle.net/1959.4/54205

Dingoes are an essential feature of the Australian landscape, a trophic regulator and apex carnivore. As an ancient dog they may also hold the key to investigating the evolution, history and origin of domestic dogs. Conservation efforts are hampered by a lack of consistency in federal and state legislation. In the wild dingoes are threatened by hybridisation with domestic dogs. Conservation groups have posited that different ecotypes of dingo exist, however little biogeographical data has been collected. This thesis explores the phylogeny, biogeography and genetic identity of the dingo using maternal, paternal, autosomal and whole genome genetic markers. Previous genetic studies lacked a broad geographic sample inhibiting the observation of broad biogeographical patterns. Thus, for this research, dingoes from five broad geographic populations across the entire Australian continent were interrogated; The Kimberley (Western Australia), The Gibson Desert (Western Australia), The Simpson Desert (Northern Territory), Fraser Island (Queensland) and The Australian Alpine region (New South Wales/Victoria/Australian Capital Territory). New Guinea Singing Dogs, the wild dog of Papua New Guinea, were also incorporated as the closest genetic relative to the dingo. The main finding of this thesis research is that there are at least three genetically distinct geographically subdivided populations of dingo; southeastern, Fraser Island and northwestern. Genetic data suggests that the dingo lineages diverged outside Australia. Mitochondrial and Y chromosome evidence further suggests that these populations may be the result of multiple introductions into Australia. The New Guinea Singing Dog was observed to have shared ancestry with the dingo. Paternal introgression from domestic dogs was observed, particularly in southeastern Australia. Additionally strong inbreeding was observed in the Fraser Island dingo population. These findings have significant implications for the management and conservation of dingoes. First, the three distinct dingo populations should be managed separately, with limited mixing in captivity and restricted human-mediated translocations in the wild. Second, hybridisation with domestic dogs is a particular threat to the southeastern dingo population and lethal control methods may be increasing male biased introgression into dingoes. Third, inbreeding possibly compromises Fraser Island dingoes; further genetic surveys are imperative and current management strategies may be unsustainable.