Sex-biased natal dispersal in Hokkaido brown bears revealed through mitochondrial DNA analysis |
| |
Authors: | Yuri Shirane Michito Shimozuru Masami Yamanaka Hifumi Tsuruga Saiko Hirano Natsuo Nagano Jun Moriwaki Masanao Nakanishi Tsuyoshi Ishinazaka Takane Nose Shinsuke Kasai Masataka Shirayanagi Yasushi Masuda Yasushi Fujimoto Masahiro Osada Masao Akaishi Tsutomu Mano Ryuichi Masuda Mariko Sashika Toshio Tsubota |
| |
Affiliation: | 1.Department of Environmental Veterinary Science, Graduate School of Veterinary Medicine,Hokkaido University,Sapporo,Japan;2.Shiretoko Nature Foundation,Hokkaido,Japan;3.Hokkaido Research Organization,Sapporo,Japan;4.South Shiretoko Brown Bear Information Center,Shibetsu,Japan;5.Shibetsu Town Office,Shibetsu,Japan;6.Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science,Hokkaido University,Sapporo,Japan |
| |
Abstract: | Understanding natal dispersal patterns is fundamental in the ecology and conservation biology of large wild carnivores. In this study, we used two approaches to determine genetic variation and dispersal patterns of brown bears in the Shiretoko Peninsula, eastern Hokkaido, Japan. The first approach was a large-scale genetic analysis. We analyzed haplotypes from the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) control region of 760 individual samples collected throughout the peninsula during 1998–2016. We detected seven haplotypes, including two that were confirmed for the first time. In females, the distribution of haplotypes was geographically structured, whereas haplotypes in males were distributed widely throughout the peninsula. Only some males in the lower peninsula had haplotypes that were not detected within the peninsula. The second approach was a local-scale genetic analysis, including intensive focal sampling in the Rusha area, a special wildlife protection area on the peninsula. Proportions of mtDNA haplotypes in adult bears were investigated and compared between the sexes. Although more than half of the females had the same haplotype, males had more diverse haplotypes, suggesting that they came to the Rusha area from other regions. Thus, our study revealed that mtDNA haplotype distribution has been maintained by female philopatry, and that bears exhibit male-biased dispersal. Furthermore, the lower peninsula appears to act as a contact zone between the peninsula and mainland Hokkaido, which is important for maintaining genetic diversity. |
| |
Keywords: | |
本文献已被 SpringerLink 等数据库收录! |
|