Autosomal SNP-genotype data of brown bears (Ursus arctos) in Finland

Harmonising methodology between countries is crucial in transborder
population monitoring. However, immediate application of alleged,
established DNA-based methods across the extended area can entail
drawbacks and may lead to biases. Therefore, genetic methods need to be
tested across the whole area before being deployed. Around 4,500 brown
bears (Ursus arctos) live in Norway, Sweden, and Finland and they are
divided into the western (Scandinavian) and eastern (Karelian) population.
Both populations have recovered and are connected via asymmetric
migration. DNA-based population monitoring in Norway and Sweden uses the
same set of genetic markers. With Finland aiming to implement monitoring,
we tested the available SNP-panel developed to assess brown bears in
Norway and Sweden, on tissue samples from a representative set of 93
legally harvested individuals from Finland. The aim was to test for
ascertainment bias and evaluate its suitability for DNA-based
transnational-monitoring covering all three countries. We compared results
to the performance of microsatellite genotypes of the same individuals in
Finland and against SNP-genotypes from individuals sampled in Sweden
(N=95) and Norway (N=27). In Finland, a higher resolution for individual
identification was obtained for SNPs (PI=1.18E-27) compared to
microsatellites (PI=4.2E-11). Compared to Norway and Sweden, probability
of identity of the SNP-panel was slightly higher and expected
heterozygosity lower in Finland indicating ascertainment bias. Yet, our
evaluation show that the available SNP-panel outperforms the
microsatellite panel currently applied in Norway and Sweden. The SNP-panel
represents a powerful tool that could aid improving transnational
DNA-based monitoring of brown bears across these three countries.