High connectivity among argali sheep from Afghanistan and adjacent countries: Inferences from neutral and candidate gene microsatellites

G. Luikart; S. J. Amish; J. Winnie; A. Beja-Pereira; R. Godinho; F. W. Allendorf; R. B. Harris

doi:10.1007/s10592-011-0195-z

High connectivity among argali sheep from Afghanistan and adjacent countries: Inferences from neutral and candidate gene microsatellites

G. Luikart
, S. J. Amish
, J. Winnie
, A. Beja-Pereira
, R. Godinho
, F. W. Allendorf
, R. B. Harris

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

23 Scopus citations

Abstract

We quantified population connectivity and genetic variation in the Marco Polo subspecies of argali mountain sheep (Ovis ammon polii) by genotyping 9 neutral and 8 candidate gene microsatellite loci in 172 individuals noninvasively sampled across five study areas in Afghanistan, China, and Tajikistan. Heterozygosity and allelic richness were generally high (mean H = 0. 67, mean A = 6. 1), but were significantly lower in the China study area (H = 0. 61, P < 0. 001; A = 4. 9, P < 0. 01). One marker in an immune system gene (TCRG4) showed an excess of rare alleles compared to neutral expectations. Another immune system gene (GLYCAM-1) showed excessive differentiation (high F_ST) between study areas. Estimates of genetic differentiation were similar (F_ST = 0. 035 vs. 0. 033) with and without the two loci deviating from neutrality, suggesting that selection is not a primary driver of overall molecular variation, and that candidate gene loci can be used for connectivity monitoring, as long as selection tests are conducted to avoid biased gene flow estimates. Adequate protection of argali and maintenance of inter-population connectivity will require monitoring and international cooperation because argali exhibit high gene flow across international borders.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	921-931
Number of pages	11
Journal	Conservation Genetics
Volume	12
Issue number	4
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/s10592-011-0195-z
State	Published - Aug 2011

Funding

Acknowledgments Our study was part of the Afghanistan Biodiversity Conservation Program of the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), supported by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). For field assistance we thank B. Habib, Z. Moheb, Sabir, and A. Khairzad. We also thank S. Kondratov, K.J. Zhang, S. Ostrowski, D. Bedunah, S. Nikzad, Z. Ejlasi, I. Farahmand, Q. Sahar, K. Sediqi, K. Sidiqi, G. Sediq, A. Ahamad, R. King, and L. Yook. We thank A. Dehgan, P. Zahler, P. Smallwood, P. Bowles, and A. Simms for advice and administrative assistance. AB-P was supported by SFRH/BPD/17822/2004 RG by SFRH/BPD/36021/2007, and this work was supported by POCI/CVT/567558/2004 all from Fundacao para a Ciencia e Tecnologia (FCT), Portugal. G.L. and F.W.A. were supported in part by a grant from U.S. National Science Foundation (Grant DEB 074218). G.L. also was supported by grants from NSF (DEB 1067129), the Walton Family foundation, CIBIO, the University of Porto, Portugal, and a research grant PTDC/BIA-BDE/ 65625/2006 from the Portuguese Science Foundation.

Funders	Funder number
DEB 074218
DEB 1067129
United States Agency for International Development
Hornocker Wildlife Institute/Wildlife Conservation Society
Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre	PTDC/BIA-BDE/ 65625/2006

Keywords

Adaptation
Bottlenecks
Gene flow
Habitat fragmentation
Infectious disease
Mountain ungulate
Natural selection
Noninvasive genetic monitoring
Ovis ammon
Pamir Mountains

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.1007/s10592-011-0195-z

Cite this

@article{a5687128356c4f388ff07a52fcb49e28,

title = "High connectivity among argali sheep from Afghanistan and adjacent countries: Inferences from neutral and candidate gene microsatellites",

abstract = "We quantified population connectivity and genetic variation in the Marco Polo subspecies of argali mountain sheep (Ovis ammon polii) by genotyping 9 neutral and 8 candidate gene microsatellite loci in 172 individuals noninvasively sampled across five study areas in Afghanistan, China, and Tajikistan. Heterozygosity and allelic richness were generally high (mean H = 0. 67, mean A = 6. 1), but were significantly lower in the China study area (H = 0. 61, P < 0. 001; A = 4. 9, P < 0. 01). One marker in an immune system gene (TCRG4) showed an excess of rare alleles compared to neutral expectations. Another immune system gene (GLYCAM-1) showed excessive differentiation (high FST) between study areas. Estimates of genetic differentiation were similar (FST = 0. 035 vs. 0. 033) with and without the two loci deviating from neutrality, suggesting that selection is not a primary driver of overall molecular variation, and that candidate gene loci can be used for connectivity monitoring, as long as selection tests are conducted to avoid biased gene flow estimates. Adequate protection of argali and maintenance of inter-population connectivity will require monitoring and international cooperation because argali exhibit high gene flow across international borders.",

keywords = "Adaptation, Bottlenecks, Gene flow, Habitat fragmentation, Infectious disease, Mountain ungulate, Natural selection, Noninvasive genetic monitoring, Ovis ammon, Pamir Mountains",

author = "G. Luikart and Amish, \{S. J.\} and J. Winnie and A. Beja-Pereira and R. Godinho and Allendorf, \{F. W.\} and Harris, \{R. B.\}",

note = "Funding Information: Acknowledgments Our study was part of the Afghanistan Biodiversity Conservation Program of the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), supported by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). For field assistance we thank B. Habib, Z. Moheb, Sabir, and A. Khairzad. We also thank S. Kondratov, K.J. Zhang, S. Ostrowski, D. Bedunah, S. Nikzad, Z. Ejlasi, I. Farahmand, Q. Sahar, K. Sediqi, K. Sidiqi, G. Sediq, A. Ahamad, R. King, and L. Funding Information: Yook. We thank A. Dehgan, P. Zahler, P. Smallwood, P. Bowles, and A. Simms for advice and administrative assistance. AB-P was supported by SFRH/BPD/17822/2004 RG by SFRH/BPD/36021/2007, and this work was supported by POCI/CVT/567558/2004 all from Fundacao para a Ciencia e Tecnologia (FCT), Portugal. G.L. and F.W.A. were supported in part by a grant from U.S. National Science Foundation (Grant DEB 074218). G.L. also was supported by grants from NSF (DEB 1067129), the Walton Family foundation, CIBIO, the University of Porto, Portugal, and a research grant PTDC/BIA-BDE/ 65625/2006 from the Portuguese Science Foundation.",

year = "2011",

month = aug,

doi = "10.1007/s10592-011-0195-z",

language = "English",

volume = "12",

pages = "921--931",

journal = "Conservation Genetics",

issn = "1566-0621",

publisher = "Springer Science and Business Media B.V.",

number = "4",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - High connectivity among argali sheep from Afghanistan and adjacent countries

T2 - Inferences from neutral and candidate gene microsatellites

AU - Luikart, G.

AU - Amish, S. J.

AU - Winnie, J.

AU - Beja-Pereira, A.

AU - Godinho, R.

AU - Allendorf, F. W.

AU - Harris, R. B.

N1 - Funding Information: Acknowledgments Our study was part of the Afghanistan Biodiversity Conservation Program of the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), supported by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). For field assistance we thank B. Habib, Z. Moheb, Sabir, and A. Khairzad. We also thank S. Kondratov, K.J. Zhang, S. Ostrowski, D. Bedunah, S. Nikzad, Z. Ejlasi, I. Farahmand, Q. Sahar, K. Sediqi, K. Sidiqi, G. Sediq, A. Ahamad, R. King, and L. Funding Information: Yook. We thank A. Dehgan, P. Zahler, P. Smallwood, P. Bowles, and A. Simms for advice and administrative assistance. AB-P was supported by SFRH/BPD/17822/2004 RG by SFRH/BPD/36021/2007, and this work was supported by POCI/CVT/567558/2004 all from Fundacao para a Ciencia e Tecnologia (FCT), Portugal. G.L. and F.W.A. were supported in part by a grant from U.S. National Science Foundation (Grant DEB 074218). G.L. also was supported by grants from NSF (DEB 1067129), the Walton Family foundation, CIBIO, the University of Porto, Portugal, and a research grant PTDC/BIA-BDE/ 65625/2006 from the Portuguese Science Foundation.

PY - 2011/8

Y1 - 2011/8

N2 - We quantified population connectivity and genetic variation in the Marco Polo subspecies of argali mountain sheep (Ovis ammon polii) by genotyping 9 neutral and 8 candidate gene microsatellite loci in 172 individuals noninvasively sampled across five study areas in Afghanistan, China, and Tajikistan. Heterozygosity and allelic richness were generally high (mean H = 0. 67, mean A = 6. 1), but were significantly lower in the China study area (H = 0. 61, P < 0. 001; A = 4. 9, P < 0. 01). One marker in an immune system gene (TCRG4) showed an excess of rare alleles compared to neutral expectations. Another immune system gene (GLYCAM-1) showed excessive differentiation (high FST) between study areas. Estimates of genetic differentiation were similar (FST = 0. 035 vs. 0. 033) with and without the two loci deviating from neutrality, suggesting that selection is not a primary driver of overall molecular variation, and that candidate gene loci can be used for connectivity monitoring, as long as selection tests are conducted to avoid biased gene flow estimates. Adequate protection of argali and maintenance of inter-population connectivity will require monitoring and international cooperation because argali exhibit high gene flow across international borders.

AB - We quantified population connectivity and genetic variation in the Marco Polo subspecies of argali mountain sheep (Ovis ammon polii) by genotyping 9 neutral and 8 candidate gene microsatellite loci in 172 individuals noninvasively sampled across five study areas in Afghanistan, China, and Tajikistan. Heterozygosity and allelic richness were generally high (mean H = 0. 67, mean A = 6. 1), but were significantly lower in the China study area (H = 0. 61, P < 0. 001; A = 4. 9, P < 0. 01). One marker in an immune system gene (TCRG4) showed an excess of rare alleles compared to neutral expectations. Another immune system gene (GLYCAM-1) showed excessive differentiation (high FST) between study areas. Estimates of genetic differentiation were similar (FST = 0. 035 vs. 0. 033) with and without the two loci deviating from neutrality, suggesting that selection is not a primary driver of overall molecular variation, and that candidate gene loci can be used for connectivity monitoring, as long as selection tests are conducted to avoid biased gene flow estimates. Adequate protection of argali and maintenance of inter-population connectivity will require monitoring and international cooperation because argali exhibit high gene flow across international borders.

KW - Adaptation

KW - Bottlenecks

KW - Gene flow

KW - Habitat fragmentation

KW - Infectious disease

KW - Mountain ungulate

KW - Natural selection

KW - Noninvasive genetic monitoring

KW - Ovis ammon

KW - Pamir Mountains

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/79960602845

U2 - 10.1007/s10592-011-0195-z

DO - 10.1007/s10592-011-0195-z

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:79960602845

SN - 1566-0621

VL - 12

SP - 921

EP - 931

JO - Conservation Genetics

JF - Conservation Genetics

IS - 4

ER -

High connectivity among argali sheep from Afghanistan and adjacent countries: Inferences from neutral and candidate gene microsatellites

Abstract

Funding

Keywords

UN SDGs

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