Data from: Color-biased dispersal inferred by fine-scale genetic spatial autocorrelation in a color polymorphic salamander

Behavioral traits can be influenced by predation rates of color morphs,
potentially leading to reduced boldness or increased escape behaviors in
one color morph. The red-backed salamander, Plethodon cinereus, is a small
terrestrial salamander whose color morphs have different diets and select
different microhabitats, but little is known about potential differences
in dispersal behaviors. We used fine-scale genetic spatial autocorrelation
to examine 122 P. cinereus in a color-polymorphic population at ten
microsatellite loci in order to generate estimates of spatial genetic
structure for each color morph. Differences in spatial genetic structure
have been used extensively to infer within-population sex-biased dispersal
but have never been used to test for dispersal differences between other
groups within populations such as color morphs. We found evidence for
color-biased dispersal, but not sex-biased dispersal. Striped salamanders
had significant positive genetic structure in the shortest distance
classes indicating philopatry. In contrast, unstriped salamanders showed a
lack of spatial genetic structure at shorter distances and higher than
expected genetic similarity at further distances, as expected if they are
dispersing from their natal site. These results show that genetic methods
typically used for sex-biased dispersal can be used to investigate
differences in dispersal between morphs that vary discretely in
polymorphic populations, such as color morphs.