The population and landscape genetics of the European badger (Meles meles) in Ireland
Date
2018-09-12
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
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Publisher
Wiley
Abstract
The population genetic structure of free-ranging
species is expected to reflect
landscape-level
effects. Quantifying the role of these factors and their relative contribution
often has important implications for wildlife management. The population
genetics of the European badger (Meles meles) have received considerable attention,
not least because the species acts as a potential wildlife reservoir for bovine tuberculosis
(bTB) in Britain and Ireland. Herein, we detail the most comprehensive population
and landscape genetic study of the badger in Ireland to date—comprised of 454
Irish badger samples, genotyped at 14 microsatellite loci. Bayesian and multivariate
clustering methods demonstrated continuous clinal variation across the island, with
potentially distinct differentiation observed in Northern Ireland. Landscape genetic
analyses identified geographic distance and elevation as the primary drivers of genetic
differentiation, in keeping with badgers exhibiting high levels of philopatry.
Other factors hypothesized to affect gene flow, including earth worm habitat suitability,
land cover type, and the River Shannon, had little to no detectable effect. By
providing a more accurate picture of badger population structure and the factors
effecting it, these data can guide current efforts to manage the species in Ireland and
to better understand its role in bTB.
Description
Publication history: Accepted - 27 July 2018; Published - 12 September 2018.
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Article
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Keywords
dispersal, gene flow, landscape, population structure
Citation
Guerrero, J., Byrne, A. W., Lavery, J., Presho, E., Kelly, G., Courcier, E. A., O’Keeffe, J., Fogarty, U., O’Meara, D. B., Ensing, D., McCormick, C., Biek, R., Skuce, R. A. and Allen, A. R. (2018) ‘The population and landscape genetics of the European badger (Meles meles ) in Ireland’, Ecology and Evolution, 8(20), pp. 10233–10246. doi: 10.1002/ece3.4498.