Data from: Color-biased dispersal inferred by fine-scale genetic spatial autocorrelation in a color polymorphic salamander

Behavioral traits can be influenced by predation rates of color morphs, potentially leading to reduced boldness or increased escape behaviors in one color morph. The red-backed salamander, Plethodon cinereus, is a small terrestrial salamander whose color morphs have different diets and select different microhabitats, but little is known about potential differences in dispersal behaviors. We used fine-scale genetic spatial autocorrelation to examine 122 P. cinereus in a color-polymorphic population at ten microsatellite loci in order to generate estimates of spatial genetic structure for each color morph. Differences in spatial genetic structure have been used extensively to infer within-population sex-biased dispersal but have never been used to test for dispersal differences between other groups within populations such as color morphs. We found evidence for color-biased dispersal, but not sex-biased dispersal. Striped salamanders had significant positive genetic structure in the shortest distance classes indicating philopatry. In contrast, unstriped salamanders showed a lack of spatial genetic structure at shorter distances and higher than expected genetic similarity at further distances, as expected if they are dispersing from their natal site. These results show that genetic methods typically used for sex-biased dispersal can be used to investigate differences in dispersal between morphs that vary discretely in polymorphic populations, such as color morphs.

捕食压力可影响动物的行为性状，可能导致某一色型（color morph）个体的大胆度降低或逃逸行为增多。红背蝾螈（Plethodon cinereus）是一种小型陆生蝾螈，其不同色型具有差异化食性且偏好不同微生境，但学界对其不同色型间扩散行为的潜在差异仍知之甚少。
本研究采用精细尺度遗传空间自相关（fine-scale genetic spatial autocorrelation）分析方法，对一个色多态种群中的122只红背蝾螈的10个微卫星位点（microsatellite loci）进行分型，旨在为每个色型构建空间遗传结构（spatial genetic structure）的估算模型。此前，空间遗传结构差异已被广泛用于推断种群内的性别偏向扩散，但从未被用于检验种群内其他离散类群（如色型）间的扩散差异。
研究结果显示存在色型偏向扩散的证据，但未发现性别偏向扩散的迹象。条纹型红背蝾螈在最短距离区间内呈现显著的正向遗传结构，表明其具有恋巢性（philopatry）；与之相反，无条纹型个体在短距离区间内未表现出空间遗传结构，且在更远距离区间内呈现高于预期的遗传相似性——这与其从出生地扩散的预期模式相符。
本研究结果表明，原本用于检验性别偏向扩散的遗传分析方法，可被用于探究色多态种群中离散类群间的扩散行为差异，例如不同色型类群。