Data from: Combining noninvasive genetics and a new mammalian sex-linked marker provides new tools to investigate population size, structure and individual behaviour: an application to bats

Monitoring wild populations is crucial for their effective management. Noninvasive genetic methods provide robust data from individual free-ranging animals, which can be used in capture-mark-recapture (CMR) models to estimate demographic parameters without capturing or disturbing them. However, sex- and status-specific behaviour, which may lead to differences in detection probabilities, is rarely considered in monitoring. Here, we investigated population size, sex ratio, sex- and status-related behaviour in 19 Rhinolophus hipposideros maternity colonies (Northern France) with a noninvasive genetic CMR approach (using faeces) combined with parentage assignments. The use of the DDX3X/Y-Mam sexual marker designed in this study, which shows inter- and intra-chromosomal length polymorphism across placental mammals, together with 8 polymorphic microsatellite markers, produced high quality genetic data with limited genotyping errors and allowed us to reliably distinguish different categories of individuals (males, reproductive and non-reproductive females) and to estimate population sizes. We showed that visual counts represent well adult female numbers and that population composition in maternity colonies changes dynamically during the summer. Before parturition, colonies mainly harbour pregnant and non-pregnant females with a few visiting males whereas after parturition, colonies are mainly composed of mothers and their offspring with a few visiting non-mothers and males. Our approach gives deeper insight into sex- and status-specific behaviour, a prerequisite for understanding population dynamics and developing effective monitoring and management strategies. Provided sufficient samples can be obtained, this approach can be readily applied to a wide range of species.

对野生种群进行监测，是实现其有效管理的核心前提。非侵入式遗传技术可从自由活动的野生动物个体中获取可靠数据，无需对其进行捕捉或惊扰，即可用于标记重捕法（capture-mark-recapture, CMR）模型以估算种群动态参数。然而，现有监测工作极少考虑因性别与社会状态差异导致的检测概率差异这一行为学因素。本研究以法国北部的19个小菊头蝠（Rhinolophus hipposideros）育幼种群为研究对象，采用以粪便为样本的非侵入式遗传标记重捕法，并结合亲权鉴定分析，对其种群规模、性比以及与性别和社会状态相关的行为展开了调查。本研究设计的DDX3X/Y-Mam性别标记在胎盘类哺乳动物中均存在染色体间及染色体内长度多态性，结合8个多态性微卫星标记，本研究获得了低基因分型误差的高质量遗传数据，能够可靠区分雄性、繁殖雌性与非繁殖雌性等不同类群的个体，并准确估算种群规模。研究结果表明，目视计数可较好反映成年雌性的种群数量，且育幼种群的种群组成在夏季呈现动态变化：分娩前，种群主要由妊娠雌性、非妊娠雌性以及少量到访的雄性组成；分娩后，种群则以母蝠及其幼崽为主，伴随少量到访的非繁殖雌性与雄性。本研究方法可深入解析性别与社会状态特异性行为，而这正是理解种群动态、制定高效监测与管理策略的必要前提。只要能够获取足够的样本，该方法即可便捷应用于众多物种的相关研究。