Changes through time in genomic diversity of gray wolf (Canis lupus) populations
Human-driven factors, including habitat fragmentation and direct persecution, have caused a decline in large predator populations for the last two centuries. Demographic declines reduce genetic diversity in wild populations, especially in small and isolated ones. In this thesis, I investigate how pa...
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| Tipo de recurso: | tesis doctoral |
| Fecha de publicación: | 2024 |
| País: | España |
| Institución: | Universidad Pablo de Olavide (UPO) |
| Repositorio: | RIO. Repositorio Institucional Olavide |
| Idioma: | inglés |
| OAI Identifier: | oai:rio.upo.es:10433/21656 |
| Acceso en línea: | https://hdl.handle.net/10433/21656 |
| Access Level: | acceso abierto |
| Palabra clave: | Diversidad genética Genética de poblaciones Lobo gris (Canis lupus) Lobo |
| Sumario: | Human-driven factors, including habitat fragmentation and direct persecution, have caused a decline in large predator populations for the last two centuries. Demographic declines reduce genetic diversity in wild populations, especially in small and isolated ones. In this thesis, I investigate how past population declines have impacted the genetic diversity of a widely distributed large predator, the gray wolf (Canis lupus). Specifically, I focus on two southern and isolated wolf populations with different population sizes and demographic scenarios: one very small and reintroduced after extinction in the wild, the Mexican wolf (C. l. baileyi), and the other relatively large and stable after partial recovery from population bottleneck, the Iberian wolf (C. l. signatus). Since the combination of non-invasive samples and microsatellite genetic markers has been commonly used to measure genetic variation in wolf populations, I first evaluate the performance of several software tools to genotype microsatellites from wolf feces using high-throughput sequencing approaches. Using whole genome data and museum specimens, I then assess the change in genetic diversity and inbreeding through time in the Mexican and Iberian wolf populations. My results reveal a loss of genetic diversity in both populations, and suggest small-scale fragmentation in the contemporary Iberian wolf population. My findings highlight the importance of genetically monitoring wild populations, even if they have apparently large or stable population sizes. Preserving genetic diversity in large predator populations is crucial to ensure their long-term viability and their key role in ecosystems. |
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