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Pyrenean ptarmigans decline under climatic and human influences through the Holocene
11] CNRS, UMR 5244, Evolutionary and Ecology of Interactions (2EI), University of Perpignan Via Domitia, Perpignan, France [2] University of Perpignan Via Domitia, UMR 5244, Evolutionary and Ecology of Interactions (2EI), CNRS, Perpignan, France.
Heredity
|July 11, 2013
Summary
Genetic diversity in Pyrenean rock ptarmigan (Lagopus muta) populations has significantly declined due to a major bottleneck event in the late Holocene. This decline is linked to habitat fragmentation caused by climate and human activity.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Evolutionary Biology
- Conservation Genetics
Background:
- European Quaternary climate fluctuations and Holocene human land-use changes impact species' geographical ranges and population genetics.
- The rock ptarmigan (Lagopus muta) in the Pyrenees faces conservation concerns due to small, isolated populations with low genetic diversity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate genetic variation and differentiation in Pyrenean rock ptarmigan populations.
- To infer the demographic history of these populations using microsatellite data.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of 11 microsatellite markers to assess genetic diversity and population structure.
- Inference of demographic history, focusing on population bottlenecks.
Main Results:
- Pyrenean rock ptarmigan populations exhibit low genetic variability.
- Evidence points to a significant population bottleneck occurring within the last tenth of the Holocene.
- Previous hypotheses of bottlenecks after the last glacial maximum or in the last 200 years are less supported.
Conclusions:
- The observed low genetic diversity is attributed to a major bottleneck in the late Holocene.
- Habitat fragmentation, driven by both climatic and anthropogenic factors, likely explains the population decline and bottleneck.
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