Homogenous population genetic structure of the non-native raccoon dog (Nyctereutes procyonoides) in Europe as a result of rapid population expansion

The extent of gene flow during the range expansion of non-native species influences the amount of genetic diversity retained in expanding populations. Here, we analyse the population genetic structure of the raccoon dog (Nyctereutes procyonoides) in north-eastern and central Europe. This invasive species is of management concern because it is highly susceptible to fox rabies and an important secondary host of the virus. We hypothesized that the large number of introduced animals and the species’ dispersal capabilities led to high population connectivity and maintenance of genetic diversity throughout the invaded range. We genotyped 332 tissue samples from seven European countries using 16 microsatellite loci. Different algorithms identified three genetic clusters corresponding to Finland, Denmark and a large ‘central’ population that reached from introduction areas in western Russia to northern Germany. Cluster assignments provided evidence of long-distance dispersal. The results of an ...

非本土物种分布范围扩张过程中的基因流程度，会影响扩张种群所保留的遗传多样性水平。本研究针对欧洲东北部与中部的貉（Nyctereutes procyonoides）的种群遗传结构展开分析。该入侵物种因对狐狸狂犬病高度易感，且是该病毒的重要次级宿主，因此受到管理层面的重点关注。我们提出假说：引入个体的庞大数量与该物种的扩散能力，促成了其入侵范围内的高种群连通性，并维持了整体遗传多样性。我们采用16个微卫星位点（microsatellite loci），对来自7个欧洲国家的332份组织样本完成了基因分型。不同算法共识别出三个遗传簇，分别对应芬兰、丹麦，以及一个从俄罗斯西部引入区域延伸至德国北部的大型"中央"种群。遗传簇的分配结果为长距离扩散提供了证据。本研究的……