Spatial genetic analyses reveal cryptic population structure and migration patterns in a continuously harvested grey wolf (Canis lupus) population in north-eastern Europe

Spatial genetics is a relatively new field in wildlife and conservation biology that is becoming an essential tool for unravelling the complexities of animal population processes, and for designing effective strategies for conservation and management. Conceptual and methodological developments in this field are therefore critical. Here we present two novel methodological approaches that further the analytical possibilities of STRUCTURE and DResD. Using these approaches we analyse structure and migrations in a grey wolf (Canis lupus) population in north-eastern Europe. We genotyped 16 microsatellite loci in 166 individuals sampled from the wolf population in Estonia and Latvia that has been under strong and continuous hunting pressure for decades. Our analysis demonstrated that this relatively small wolf population is represented by four genetic groups. We also used a novel methodological approach that uses linear interpolation to statistically test the spatial separation of genetic grou...

空间遗传学（Spatial genetics）是野生动物与保护生物学领域的新兴学科，正逐步成为解析动物种群过程复杂性、制定高效保护与管理策略的核心工具。因此，该领域的概念与方法学进展至关重要。本研究提出两种全新的方法学框架，拓展了STRUCTURE与DResD的分析潜能。借助这些方法，我们对欧洲东北部的灰狼（Canis lupus）种群的遗传结构与迁移模式展开分析。我们对采自爱沙尼亚与拉脱维亚的灰狼种群的166个个体进行了16个微卫星位点（microsatellite loci）的基因分型——该种群数十年来一直承受着高强度且持续的狩猎压力。分析结果显示，这一规模相对较小的灰狼种群可划分为4个遗传类群。我们还采用了一种基于线性插值的全新方法学路径，以统计学方式检验遗传类群的空间分隔……