Document: MIC-3-47-2
Genetic variation in and gene flow between San Joaquin kit fox Populations.
SCHWARTZ, M.K.* 1, K.RALLS 2, D.F.WILLIAMS 3, K.PILGRIM 4 and R.C.FLEISCHER 2
University of Montana, Missoula MT 59812 1
Smithsonian Institution, Washington D.C. 20008 2
California State University, CA 3
Abstract:
The San Joaquin kit fox (Vulpes macrotis mutica) was once ubiquitous throughout California's great San Joaquin Valley. However, most of its habitat has been lost to irrigated agriculture, urban development, and oil fields. The remaining foxes are concentrated in four main and several smaller populations. To help conserve kit fox, we sought an ecological understanding of the level of genetic variation remaining in these populations and the extent of gene flow among them. Between 1981 and 1999, we collected tissue from kit foxes in 8 populations. We estimated genetic variability in and gene flow between fox populations using genotypes from 320 foxes at 8 polymorphic,microsatellite markers. Heterozygosity ranged from 0.318 (Panoche) to 0.590 (Lost Hills), while allelic diversity ranged from 2.00 (Lost Hills) to 4.63 (Elk Hills).The apparent discrepancy between genetic diversity measures in the Lost Hills population can be explained by small sample size, as a rarefaction analysis indicated that there was actually no deficit of alleles at Lost Hills. Gene flow appeared moderately high between populations (Fst=0.043). Assignment tests failed to correctly classify many individuals to the population where they were collected. Overall, these data imply that kit fox historically had high levels of gene flow throughout their range.
Keywords: Conservation Genetics Carnivores
This abstract is being presented at: 4:30 PM in session:
Oral Session #63: Evolutionary Ecology.