Genomic variation in the American pika: signatures of geographic isolation and implications for conservation

Distributional responses by alpine taxa to repeated, glacial-interglacial
cycles throughout the last two million years have significantly influenced
the spatial genetic structure of populations. These effects have been
exacerbated for the American pika (Ochotona princeps), a small alpine
lagomorph constrained by thermal sensitivity and a limited dispersal
capacity. As a species of conservation concern, long-term lack of gene
flow has important consequences for landscape genetic structure and levels
of diversity within populations. Here, we use reduced representation
sequencing (ddRADseq) to provide a genome-wide perspective on patterns of
genetic variation across pika populations representing distinct
subspecies. To investigate how landscape and environmental features shape
genetic variation, we collected genetic samples from distinct geographic
regions as well as across finer spatial scales in two geographically
proximate mountain ranges of eastern Nevada.