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Colonization and dispersal in a social species, the Bechstein's bat (Myotis bechsteinii)
- Source :
- Molecular Ecology. 14:3943-3950
- Publication Year :
- 2005
- Publisher :
- Wiley, 2005.
-
Abstract
- Metapopulation genetic models consider that colonization and dispersal are distinct behaviours. However, whether colonization and dispersal indeed reflect different biological processes in nature is unclear. One possibility to test this assumption is to assess patterns of autosomal and mitochondrial genetic structure in species with strict female philopatry, such as the communally breeding Bechstein's bat. In this species, mitochondrial DNA can spread only when females establish new colonies, and autosomal DNA is transmitted among colonies only when females mate with solitary males born in foreign colonies. Investigating the genetic structure among 37 colonies, we found that autosomal genes followed an island model on a regional scale and a model of isolation by distance on a larger geographical scale. In contrast, mitochondrial genetic structure revealed no pattern of isolation by distance at a large scale but exhibited an effect of ecological barriers on a regional scale. Our results provide strong empirical evidence that colonization and dispersal do not follow the same behavioural rules in this bat, supporting the assumption of metapopulation genetic models.
- Subjects :
- 0106 biological sciences
0303 health sciences
Mitochondrial DNA
Zoology
Metapopulation
Biology
010603 evolutionary biology
01 natural sciences
03 medical and health sciences
Genetic structure
Genetic model
Genetics
Biological dispersal
Philopatry
Colonization
Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics
030304 developmental biology
Isolation by distance
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 09621083
- Volume :
- 14
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Molecular Ecology
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi...........d18222bc85499c5af323b2b191b3c9f7