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29 May 2020 Pronghorn population genomics show connectivity in the core of their range
Melanie E. F. LaCava, Roderick B. Gagne, Sierra M. Love Stowell, Kyle D. Gustafson, C. Alex Buerkle, Lee Knox, Holly B. Ernest
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Abstract

Preserving connectivity in the core of a species' range is crucial for long-term persistence. However, a combination of ecological characteristics, social behavior, and landscape features can reduce connectivity among wildlife populations and lead to genetic structure. Pronghorn (Antilocapra americana), for example, exhibit fluctuating herd dynamics and variable seasonal migration strategies, but GPS tracking studies show that landscape features such as highways impede their movements, leading to conflicting hypotheses about expected levels of genetic structure. Given that pronghorn populations declined significantly in the early 1900s, have only partially recovered, and are experiencing modern threats from landscape modification, conserving connectivity among populations is important for their long-term persistence in North America. To assess the genetic structure and diversity of pronghorn in the core of their range, we genotyped 4,949 genome-wide single-nucleotide polymorphisms and 11 microsatellites from 398 individuals throughout the state of Wyoming. We found no evidence of genetic subdivision and minimal evidence of isolation by distance despite a range that spans hundreds of kilometers, multiple mountain ranges, and three interstate highways. In addition, a rare variant analysis using putatively recent mutations found no genetic division between pronghorn on either side of a major highway corridor. Although we found no evidence that barriers to daily and seasonal movements of pronghorn impede gene flow, we suggest periodic monitoring of genetic structure and diversity as a part of management strategies to identify changes in connectivity.

© The Author(s) 2020. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Society of Mammalogists, www.mammalogy.org.
Melanie E. F. LaCava, Roderick B. Gagne, Sierra M. Love Stowell, Kyle D. Gustafson, C. Alex Buerkle, Lee Knox, and Holly B. Ernest "Pronghorn population genomics show connectivity in the core of their range," Journal of Mammalogy 101(4), 1061-1071, (29 May 2020). https://doi.org/10.1093/jmammal/gyaa054
Received: 25 October 2019; Accepted: 21 April 2020; Published: 29 May 2020
KEYWORDS
gene flow
genotyping by sequencing
landscape barriers
population genetics
ungulate
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