Development of a cost-effective, multifunctional SNP panel and analysis workflow for wolf monitoring in Finland

Genetic monitoring is an essential tool for managing threatened or
commercially valuable wildlife species. Ideally, genetic monitoring relies
on straightforward protocols for genotyping and data handling,
accommodates varying sample volumes, applies to non-invasive samples such
as scat and hair, produces reliable and repeatable genotypes, and is
cost-effective. Moreover, the marker panel itself should be tailored to
specific species and/or population management information needs. We
describe the development of a microarray-based 96-SNP panel specifically
designed for non-invasive genetic monitoring of the Finnish wolf
population. The panel was developed to meet four specific needs for this
population: identification of wolf genotypes from the non-target species
(fox, raccoon dog, golden jackal), species detection, sexing, individual
identification, and kinship resolution. Detection of potential dog or
hybrid samples is addressed with a separate 93-SNP wolf-dog panel
(Harmoinen et al. 2021) used in parallel. We demonstrate the utility of
the SNP panel using a subset of the genetic monitoring data collected in
2022–2023, including an overview of the data analysis workflow. The
development and successful application of this SNP panel, along with a
comparison with similar studies in the field, provide valuable insights
for researchers and conservationists aiming to implement similar
strategies for other species.