Data from: Boost or Bust? The impact of supplementation on functional genetic diversity and selective processes in Tasmanian devils

Translocating individuals into existing populations of conspecifics can
support threatened species by increasing population size, maintaining
genetic diversity, and reducing the risk of inbreeding. However, for
species whose adaptive potential is compromised due to ongoing threats,
like disease, the outcome of such management interventions becomes more
complex. The Tasmanian devil (Sarcophilus harrisii) is a prime example,
where the emergence of Devil Facial Tumour Disease (DFTD) has led to
significant population declines, raising concerns about their long-term
survival. It is therefore critical to understand if the introduction of
new functional genetic variants through supplementation actions enhances
or potentially hinders their long-term persistence. We investigated
changes in functional gene diversity at both the population- and
individual-levels, pre and post supplementation, across multiple wild
devil sites (four supplemented and four not supplemented). We found that
functional diversity increased post-supplementation. Though the magnitude
of change was varied among sites, a similar site-specific pattern was also
evident in genome-wide diversity. Importantly, we saw no evidence of
swamping of local alleles or those putatively associated with DFTD
regressions. This is likely due to the source population representing the
broad wild genetic diversity and supplementations facilitating gene flow
across the current fragmented landscape. Continued and long-term
monitoring at multiple wild sites will be necessary to determine whether
future generations retain this introduced genetic variation.