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9/28/2018 | 9:50 AM - 10:05 AM | Characterizing Range-Wide Population Divergence White-Tailed Ptarmigan Using Genetic and Genomic Approaches | Eccles Conference Center Auditorium

Characterizing Range-Wide Population Divergence White-Tailed Ptarmigan Using Genetic and Genomic Approaches

The delineation of intraspecific units that are evolutionarily and demographically distinct is an important step in the development of species-specific management plans. Neutral genetic variation has served as the primary data source for delineating units for conservation, but with recent advances in genomic technology, we now have an unprecedented ability to utilize information about neutral and adaptive variation across the entire genome. Here, we use traditional genetic markers (microsatellites) and a newer reduced-representation genomic approach (single nucleotide polymorphisms) to delineate distinct groups of white-tailed ptarmigan (Lagopus leucura), an alpine-obligate species that is distributed in naturally fragmented habitats from Alaska to New Mexico. All analyses, regardless of dataset and method, demonstrated that the most geographically isolated subspecies (L. l. altipetens and L. l. saxatilis) formed distinct groups that were divergent from each other and from the other subspecies (L. l. rainierensis, L. l. leucura, and L. l. peninsularis). The extent of divergence was not as pronounced throughout the remainder of the species’ range (from Washington to Alaska), although some spatial genetic structure was apparent. Results based on genetic and genomic datasets generally agreed with one another, indicating that in many cases microsatellite loci may be sufficient for describing major patterns of genetic structure across species’ ranges. This work will inform future management and listing decisions for the white-tailed ptarmigan, a species that may be vulnerable to future changes in climate.

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Presenters/Authors

Kathryn Langin (), United States Geological Survey, k.m.langin@gmail.com ;