Data from: Founder events, isolation, and inbreeding: Intercontinental genetic structure of the domestic ferret

Domestication and breeding for human-desired morphological traits can reduce population genetic diversity via founder events and artificial selection, resulting in inbreeding depression and genetic disorders. The ferret (Mustela putorius furo) was domesticated from European polecats (M. putorius), transported to multiple continents, and has been artificially selected for several traits. The ferret is now a common pet, a laboratory model organism, and feral ferrets can impact native biodiversity. We hypothesized global ferret trade resulted in distinct international genetic clusters and that ferrets transported to other continents would have lower genetic diversity than ferrets from Europe because of extreme founder events and no hybridization with wild polecats or genetically-diverse ferrets. To assess these hypotheses, we genotyped 765 ferrets at 31 microsatellites from 11 countries among the continents of North America, Europe, and Australia and estimated population structure and genetic diversity. Fifteen M. putorius were genotyped for comparison. Our study indicated ferrets exhibit geographically-distinct clusters and highlights the low genetic variation in certain countries. Australian and North American clusters have the lowest genetic diversities and highest inbreeding metrics whereas the United Kingdom (UK) cluster exhibited intermediate genetic diversity. Non-UK European ferrets had high genetic diversity, possibly a result of introgression with wild polecats. Notably, Hungarian ferrets had the highest genetic diversity and Hungary is the only country sampled with two wild polecat species. Our research has broad social, economic, and biomedical importance. Ferret owners and veterinarians should be made aware of potential inbreeding depression. Breeders in North America and Australia would benefit by incorporating genetically-diverse ferrets from mainland Europe. Laboratories using ferrets as biomedical organisms should consider diversifying their genetic stock and incorporating genetic information into bioassays. These results also have forensic applications for conserving the genetics of wild polecat species and for identifying and managing sources of feral ferrets causing ecosystem damage.

针对人类期望的形态性状开展驯化与选育工作，可通过奠基者效应与人工选择降低种群遗传多样性，进而引发近交衰退与遗传疾病。雪貂（Mustela putorius furo）由欧洲艾鼬（Mustela putorius，简称M. putorius）驯化而来，现已被人类引种至多个大陆，并针对多项性状进行了人工选育。如今雪貂既是常见伴侣动物，也是常用的实验室模式生物，而野生化雪貂会对本土生物多样性造成不利影响。我们提出如下研究假设：全球雪貂贸易形成了特征鲜明的跨国遗传聚类；由于极端奠基者效应且未与野生艾鼬或遗传多样性丰富的雪貂发生杂交，被引种至其他大陆的雪貂种群遗传多样性将低于欧洲本土雪貂。为验证上述假设，我们对来自北美、欧洲与澳大利亚共11个国家的765只雪貂的31个微卫星（microsatellite）位点进行了基因分型，并评估了种群结构与遗传多样性；同时对15只欧洲艾鼬（M. putorius）进行基因分型作为对照。本研究结果显示，雪貂呈现出地理特异性的遗传聚类，同时凸显出部分国家雪貂种群的遗传变异水平偏低。澳大利亚与北美种群的遗传多样性最低，近交指数最高；而英国（UK）种群的遗传多样性处于中等水平。非英国的欧洲雪貂种群遗传多样性较高，这可能源于其与野生艾鼬的基因渐渗。值得注意的是，匈牙利雪貂种群的遗传多样性最高，而匈牙利是本次采样中唯一涵盖两种野生艾鼬物种的国家。本研究具有广泛的社会、经济与生物医学应用价值。雪貂饲养者与兽医应警惕潜在的近交衰退风险。北美与澳大利亚的繁育者可通过引入来自欧洲大陆的遗传多样性丰富的雪貂种群，优化自身种群的遗传结构。以雪貂作为生物医学实验模型的实验室，应考虑丰富其实验种群的遗传多样性，并将遗传信息纳入生物测定实验的设计中。本研究结果还可应用于法医学领域，用于保护野生艾鼬的遗传资源，以及鉴定和管控造成生态系统破坏的野生化雪貂种群来源。