Fine-scale genetic correlates to condition and migration in a wild cervid
Item Metadata
Dublin Core
Title
Fine-scale genetic correlates to condition and migration in a wild cervid
Description
The relationship between genetic variation and phenotypic traits is fundamental to the study and management of natural populations. Such relationships often are investigated by assessing correlations between phenotypic traits and heterozygosity or genetic differentiation. Using an extensive data set compiled from free-ranging mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus), we combined genetic and ecological data to (i) examine correlations between genetic differentiation and migration timing, (ii) screen for mitochondrial haplotypes associated with migration timing, and (iii) test whether nuclear heterozygosity was associated with condition. Migration was related to genetic differentiation (more closely related individuals migrated closer in time) and mitochondrial haplogroup. Body fat was related to heterozygosity at two nuclear loci (with antagonistic patterns), one of which is situated near a known fat metabolism gene in mammals. Despite being focused on a widespread panmictic species, these findings revealed a link between genetic variation and important phenotypes at a fine scale. We hypothesize that these correlations are either the result of mixing refugial lineages or differential mitochondrial haplotypes influencing energetics. The maintenance of phenotypic diversity will be critical to enable the potential tracking of changing climatic conditions, and these correlates highlight the need to consider evolutionary mechanisms in management, even in widely distributed panmictic species.
Bibliographic Citation
Northrup, J. M., A. B. A. Shafer, C. R. Anderson Jr., D. W. Coltman, and G. Wittemyer. 2014. Fine–scale genetic correlates to condition and migration in a wild cervid. Evolutionary Applications 7:937–948. https://doi.org/10.1111/eva.12189
Creator
Northrup, Joseph M.
Shafer, Aaron B. A.
Anderson Jr, Charles R.
Coltman, David W.
Wittemyer, George
Subject
Genetic differentiation
Heterozygosity fitness correlation
Migration
Mule deer
Multilocus heterozygosity
Odocoileus hemionus
Single-locus heterozygosity
Wildlife
Extent
12 pages
Date Created
2014-08-28
Rights
Type
Article
Format
application/pdf
Language
English
Is Part Of
Evolutionary Applications
Collection
Citation
Northrup, Joseph M. et al., “Fine-scale genetic correlates to condition and migration in a wild cervid,” CPW Digital Collections, accessed January 15, 2025, https://cpw.cvlcollections.org/items/show/59.