Dataset Information

Low worldwide genetic diversity in the killer whale (Orcinus orca): implications for demographic history.

ABSTRACT: A low level of genetic variation in mammalian populations where the census population size is relatively large has been attributed to various factors, such as a naturally small effective population size, historical bottlenecks and social behaviour. The killer whale (Orcinus orca) is an abundant, highly social species with reduced genetic variation. We find no consistent geographical pattern of global diversity and no mtDNA variation within some regional populations. The regional lack of variation is likely to be due to the strict matrilineal expansion of local populations. The worldwide pattern and paucity of diversity may indicate a historical bottleneck as an additional factor.

SUBMITTER: Hoelzel AR

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1691053 | biostudies-other | 2002 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-other

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Low worldwide genetic diversity in the killer whale (Orcinus orca): implications for demographic history.

Hoelzel A Rus AR Natoli Ada A Dahlheim Marilyn E ME Olavarria Carlos C Baird Robin W RW Black Nancy A NA

Proceedings. Biological sciences 20020701 1499

A low level of genetic variation in mammalian populations where the census population size is relatively large has been attributed to various factors, such as a naturally small effective population size, historical bottlenecks and social behaviour. The killer whale (Orcinus orca) is an abundant, highly social species with reduced genetic variation. We find no consistent geographical pattern of global diversity and no mtDNA variation within some regional populations. The regional lack of variatio ...[more]

PMID: 12137576

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Project description:The introduction of non-native species can have long-term effects on native plant and animal communities. Introduced populations are occasionally not well understood and offer opportunities to evaluate changes in genetic structure through time and major population changes such as bottleneck and or founder events. Invasive species can often evolve rapidly in new and novel environments, which could be essential to their long-term success. Sika deer are native to East Asia, and their introduction and establishment to the Delmarva Peninsula, USA, is poorly documented, but probably involved ?1 founder and/or bottleneck events. We quantified neutral genetic diversity in the introduced population and compared genetic differentiation and diversity to the presumed source population from Yakushima Island, Japan, and a captive population of sika deer in Harrington, Delaware, USA. Based on the data from 10 microsatellite DNA loci, we observed reduced genetic variation attributable to founder events, support for historic hybridization events, and evidence that the population did originate from Yakushima Island stocks. Estimates of population structure through Bayesian clustering and demographic history derived from approximate Bayesian computation (ABC), were consistent with the hypothesized founder history of the introduced population in both timing and effective population size (approximately five effective breeding individuals, an estimated 36 generations ago). Our ABC results further supported a single introduction into the wild happening before sika deer spread throughout the Delmarva. We conclude that free-ranging sika deer on Delmarva are descended from ca. five individuals introduced about 100 years ago from captive stocks of deer maintained in the United Kingdom. Free-ranging sika deer on Delmarva have lost neutral diversity due to founder and bottleneck events, yet populations have expanded in recent decades and show no evidence of abnormalities associated with inbreeding. We suggest management practices including increasing harvest areas and specifically managing sika deer outside of Maryland.

Dataset Information

Low worldwide genetic diversity in the killer whale (Orcinus orca): implications for demographic history.

Publications

Low worldwide genetic diversity in the killer whale (Orcinus orca): implications for demographic history.

Similar Datasets

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