Spatial Genetic Analyses Reveal Cryptic Population Structure and Migration Patterns in a Continuously Harvested Grey Wolf (Canis lupus) Population in North-Eastern Europe

摘要: Spatial genetics is a relatively new field in wildlife and conservation biology that becoming an essential tool for unravelling the complexities of animal population processes, designing effective strategies management. Conceptual methodological developments this are therefore critical. Here we present two novel approaches further analytical possibilities STRUCTURE DResD. Using these analyse structure migrations grey wolf (Canislupus) north-eastern Europe. We genotyped 16 microsatellite loci 166 individuals sampled from Estonia Latvia has been under strong continuous hunting pressure decades. Our analysis demonstrated small represented by four genetic groups. also used approach uses linear interpolation to statistically test spatial separation The method, which capable using program output, can be applied widely reveal both core areas low significance recently developed spatially explicit individual-based method DResD, it first time data, revealing migration corridor barriers, several contact zones.