Data from: Reconstruction of caribou evolutionary history in Western North America and its implications for conservation

• Main Authors: Weckworth, Byron V., Musiani, Marco, McDevitt, Allan D., Hebblewhite, Mark, Mariani, Stefano
• Format: Dataset
• Language: English
• Published: Dryad 2020
• Subjects: Rangifer tarandus; phylogeography; endangered species; Ecotypes; genetic markers; subspecies; Alberta; Alaska; British Columbia; Northwest Territories; Yukon; Life sciences; medicine and health care; geo; envir; Canada; Beringia
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.gn22271h

The role of Beringia as a refugium and route for trans-continental exchange of fauna during glacial cycles of the past 2 million years are well documented; less apparent is its contribution as a significant reservoir of genetic diversity. Using mitochondrial DNA sequences and 14 microsatellite loci, we investigate the phylogeographic history of caribou (Rangifer tarandus) in western North America. Patterns of genetic diversity reveal two distinct groups of caribou. Caribou classified as a Northern group, of Beringian origin, exhibited greater number and variability in mtDNA haplotypes compared to a Southern group originating from refugia south of glacial ice. Results indicate that subspecies R. t. granti of Alaska and R. t. groenlandicus of northern Canada do not constitute distinguishable units at mtDNA or microsatellites, belying their current status as separate subspecies. Additionally, the Northern Mountain ecotype of woodland caribou (presently R. t. caribou) has closer kinship to caribou classified as granti or groenlandicus. Comparisons of mtDNA and microsatellite data suggest that behavioural and ecological specialization is a more recently derived life history characteristic. Notably, microsatellite differentiation among Southern herds is significantly greater, most likely as a result of human-induced landscape fragmentation and genetic drift due to smaller population sizes. These results not only provide important insight into the evolutionary history of northern species such as caribou, but also are important indicators for managers evaluating conservation measures for this threatened species. Weckworth_Dryad2Excel file with three worksheets. First is microsatellite data; first column is individual number, second column is population ID, next 28 columns are the allele sets for each of the 14 loci used. Second worksheet is the mtDNA haplotype frequency per population. Third worksheet provides GenBank accession number for each haplotype.Weckworth_Dryad.xlsx