Microsatellite genotypes, cluster membership and metadata of Central European wolves (Canis lupus) ...

• Main Authors: Szewczyk, Maciej, Mysłajek, Robert
• Format: Dataset
• Language: English
• Published: Dryad 2019
• Subjects: Canis lupus; gray wolf
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.5061/dryad.xwdbrv195; https://datadryad.org/stash/dataset/doi:10.5061/dryad.xwdbrv195

Local extinction and recolonization events can shape genetic structure of subdivided animal populations. The gray wolf (Canis lupus) was extirpated from most of Europe, but recently recolonized big part of its historical range. An exceptionally dynamic expansion of wolf population is observed in the western part of the Great European Plain. Nonetheless, genetic consequences of this process have not yet been fully understood. We aimed to assess genetic diversity of this recently established wolf population in Western Poland (WPL), determine its origin and provide novel data regarding the population genetic structure of the grey wolf in Central Europe. We utilized both spatially explicit and non-explicit Bayesian clustering approaches, as well as a model-independent, multivariate method DAPC, to infer genetic structure in large dataset of wolf microsatellite genotypes. To put the patterns observed in studied population into a broader biogeographic context we also analyzed a mtDNA control region fragment widely ... : Non-invasive samples N=2110 (mainly scats – N=1792 but also urine – N=139, hair – N=139, blood from estrus – N=29 and swabs from wolf kills – N=11) were collected from 2011 to 2018 by authors and trained volunteers all year round, during long-distance wolf tracking on forest roads, tourist trails and around known wolf dens and rendezvous sites. We also gathered tissue and hair samples from wolves killed in traffic accidents (N=97), illegally shot or snared (N=29) or found dead due to diseases and other natural causes (N=16). Additionally, we analyzed blood and hair samples of animals injured in traffic accidents or by poachers (N=9). Lastly, we analyzed tissue samples from wolves hunted legally in Lithuania (N=63) and Slovakia (N=23). No animals were specifically killed or captured for this study. DNA isolation from non-invasive samples was performed in a separate cleanroom to avoid contamination. DNA from scats was isolated either with QIAamp DNA Stool Mini Kit (Qiagen) or Exgene™ Stool DNA Mini kit ...