Data from: Disease and freeways drive genetic change in urban bobcat populations

Urbanization profoundly impacts animal populations by causing isolation,
increased susceptibility to disease, and exposure to toxicants. Genetic
effects include reduced effective population size, increased population
substructure, and decreased adaptive potential. We investigated the
influence that urbanization and a disease epizootic had on the population
genetics of bobcats (Lynx rufus) distributed across a highly fragmented
urban landscape. We genotyped more than 300 bobcats, sampled from
1996-2012, for variation at nine neutral and seven immune gene-linked
microsatellite loci. We found that two freeways are significant barriers
to gene flow. Further, a 3-year disease epizootic, associated with
secondary anticoagulant rodenticide exposure, caused a population
bottleneck that led to significant genetic differentiation between pre-
and post-disease populations that was greater than that between
populations separated by major freeways for > 60 years. However,
balancing selection acted on immune-linked loci during the epizootic,
maintaining variation at functional regions. Conservation assessments need
to assay loci that are potentially under selection in order to better
preserve the adaptive potential of populations at the urban-wildland
interface. Further, inter-connected regions that contain appropriate
habitat for wildlife will be critical to the long-term viability of animal
populations in urban landscapes.

城市化会通过造成种群隔离、提升疾病易感性以及使生物暴露于有毒物质，对动物种群产生深远影响，其所引发的遗传效应包括有效种群规模缩减、种群亚结构加剧以及适应潜力降低。本研究针对分布于高度碎片化城市景观中的短尾猫（Lynx rufus），探究了城市化与动物流行病对其种群遗传学的影响。我们对1996年至2012年间采集的300余只短尾猫进行基因分型，检测其9个中性位点与7个免疫基因关联微卫星位点的变异情况。研究发现，两条高速公路是基因交流的显著障碍。此外，一场持续三年、与第二代抗凝血灭鼠剂暴露相关的动物流行病引发了种群瓶颈，导致疫病前后种群间出现显著遗传分化，其分化程度高于分隔超60年的主要高速公路两侧种群间的分化。但在此次流行病期间，平衡选择作用于免疫关联位点，维持了功能区域的遗传变异。为更好地保护城市-荒野交错带种群的适应潜力，保育评估需对潜在受选择位点进行检测。此外，拥有适宜野生动物栖息地的连通区域，对城市景观中动物种群的长期存续至关重要。