For mammals with a polygynous mating system, dispersal is expected to be male-biased. However, with the increase in empirical studies, discrepancies are arising between the expected and observed direction/extent of the bias in dispersal. In this study, we assessed sex-biased dispersal in red deer (Cervus elaphus) on 13 estates from the Scottish Highlands. A total of 568 adult individuals were genotyped at 21 microsatellite markers and sequenced for 821 bp of the mitochondrial control region. Estimates of population structure with mitochondrial sequences were eight times larger than that obtained with microsatellite data (F(st'-mtDNA) = 0.831; F(st'-micros) = 0.096) indicating overall male-biased dispersal in the study area. Comparisons of microsatellite data between the sexes indicated a predominance of male-biased dispersal in the study area but values of F(ST) and relatedness were only slighter larger for females. Individual-based spatial autocorrelation analysis generated a similar pattern of relatedness across geographical distances for both sexes, with differences only significant at two distance intervals (25-30 and 70-112 km). Patterns of relatedness differed between estates, male biased-dispersal was detected in eight estates but no sex-biased dispersal was found in the remaining five. Neither population density nor landscape cover was found to be associated with the patterns of relatedness found across the estates. Differences in management strategies that could influence age structure, sex ratio and dispersal behaviour are proposed as potential factors influencing the relatedness patterns observed. This study provides new insights on dispersal of a strongly polygynous mammal at geographical scales relevant for management and conservation.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
|---|---|
| http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-294X.2010.04733.x | DOI Listing |
Publication Analysis
Top Keywords
Similar Publications
Using uniparental genetic profiles to unravel the complexity of Argentine admixed populations.
Forensic Sci Int Genet
December 2024
DNA Diagnostic Laboratory, Institute of Biology Roberto Alcantara Gomes, State University of Rio de, Rio de Janeiro 20550-900, Brazil.
Latin American countries are distinguished by their highly admixed populations, characterized by a significant preservation of Native American matrilineal ancestry. This contrasts with the paternal lineages, which exhibit different patterns due to pronounced sex-biased mating practices during the colonial period. Uniparental genetic markers have been instrumental in population genetics, facilitating the reconstruction of human settlement histories and serving forensic identification purposes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPostmarital residence rules and transmission pathways in cultural hitchhiking.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A
November 2024
Institute of Archaeology, University College London, London WC1H 0PY, United Kingdom.
Cultural evolutionary processes can often lead to a statistical association between neutral and adaptive traits during episodes of population dispersal and the introduction of a beneficial technology in a geographic region. Here, we examine such cultural hitchhiking processes using an individual-based model that portrays the cultural interaction between a migrant and an incumbent population. Our model is loosely based on the interaction between farming and foraging populations during the initial stages of the adoption and diffusion of agricultural practices.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFParity-specific differences in spatial genetics and dispersal in the common lizard.
J Evol Biol
January 2025
School of Biodiversity, One Health & Veterinary Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary & Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, Scotland, UK.
Article Synopsis
- Dispersal is crucial in shaping population dynamics and genetic structure, and this study examines how dispersal varies between oviparous and viviparous common lizards in a shared environment to uncover these links.
- Findings show that while both populations exhibit isolation-by-distance patterns and similar genetic diversity, the viviparous lizards have a significantly higher density and larger genetic neighborhoods, indicating more extensive dispersal.
- Male-biased dispersal is clearly evident in the viviparous population, whereas it is weak in the oviparous group, suggesting that reproductive strategies and mother-offspring interactions play a significant role in these observed differences.
Sex and landscape influence spatial genetic variation in a large fossorial mammal, the Bare-nosed Wombat ().
J Mammal
June 2024
Discipline of Biological Sciences, University of Tasmania, Private Bag 55, Hobart, TAS 7001, Australia.
Dispersal is an important process that is widely studied across species, and it can be influenced by intrinsic and extrinsic factors. Intrinsic factors commonly assessed include the sex and age of individuals, while landscape features are frequently-tested extrinsic factors. Here, we investigated the effects of both sex and landscape composition and configuration on genetic distances among bare-nosed wombats ()-one of the largest fossorial mammals in the world and subject to habitat fragmentation, threats from disease, and human persecution including culling as an agricultural pest.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAllele frequency dynamics under sex-biased demography and sex-specific inheritance in a pedigreed jay population.
Genetics
July 2024
Department of Biology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14627, USA.
Sex-biased demography, including sex-biased survival or migration, can alter allele frequency changes across the genome. In particular, we can expect different patterns of genetic variation on autosomes and sex chromosomes due to sex-specific differences in life histories, as well as differences in effective population size, transmission modes, and the strength and mode of selection. Here, we demonstrate the role that sex differences in life history played in shaping short-term evolutionary dynamics across the genome.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWant AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!