Data from: Genetic diversity in migratory bats: results from RADseq data for three tree bat species at an Ohio windfarm

Genetic analyses can identify the scale at which wildlife species are
impacted by human activities, and provide demographic information useful
for management. Here, we use thousands of nuclear DNA genetic loci to
assess whether genetic structure occurs within Lasiurus cinereus (Hoary
Bat), L. borealis (Red Bat), and Lasionycteris noctivagans (Silver-Haired
Bat) bats found at a wind turbine site in Ohio, and to also estimate
demographic parameters in each of these three groups. Our specific goals
are to: 1) demonstrate the feasibility of isolating RADseq loci from these
tree bat species, 2) test for genetic structure within each species,
including any structure that may be associated with time (migration
period), and 3) use coalescent-based modeling approaches to estimate
genetically-effective population sizes and patterns of population size
changes over evolutionary timescales. Thousands of loci were successfully
genotyped for each species, demonstrating the value of RADseq for
generating polymorphic loci for population genetic analyses in these bats.
There was no evidence for genetic differentiation between groups of
samples collected at different times throughout spring and fall migration,
suggesting that individuals from each species found at the wind facility
are from single panmictic populations. Estimates of present-day effective
population sizes varied across species, but were consistently large, on
the order of 105–106. All populations show evidence of expansions that
date to the Pleistocene. These results, along with recent work also
suggesting limited genetic structure in bats across North America, argue
that additional biomarker systems such as stable-isotopes or trace
elements should be investigated as alternative and/or complementary
approaches to genetics for sourcing individuals collected at single wind
farm sites.