Elusive does not always equal rare: genetic assessment of a protected Gila monster (Heloderma suspectum) population in Saguaro National Park, Arizona
| Autor: | Kevin E. Bonine, Victoria S. Farrar, Taylor Edwards |
|---|---|
| Rok vydání: | 2017 |
| Předmět: |
0106 biological sciences
0301 basic medicine education.field_of_study Genetic diversity Heloderma biology Demographic history National park Ecology Rare species Population biology.organism_classification 010603 evolutionary biology 01 natural sciences 03 medical and health sciences 030104 developmental biology Effective population size Gila monster Animal Science and Zoology education Ecology Evolution Behavior and Systematics |
| Zdroj: | Amphibia-Reptilia. 38:1-14 |
| ISSN: | 1568-5381 |
| DOI: | 10.1163/15685381-00003079 |
| Popis: | Population genetic baselines for species perceived to be at-risk are crucial for monitoring population trends and making well-informed management decisions. We characterized the genetic status of a population of Gila monsters (Heloderma suspectum), a large venomous lizard native to deserts of the southwestern United States and northern Mexico, by sampling 100 individuals in Sonoran Desert upland habitat at Saguaro National Park, Arizona, USA. We used 18 microsatellite markers, along with 1195 bp of sequence data from the mitochondrial DNA 12S locus, to examine genetic diversity, estimate effective population size, and assess demographic history. Despite suburban development adjacent to the study area, we observed high genetic diversity with uninhibited gene flow within this protected population. We estimated effective population size (Ne) for the total sample area (80 km2) using the linkage disequilibrium method in NeEstimator to be 94 individuals (95% confidence interval: 80.7-111.2). In 2011, we used capture-recapture methods to estimate that 80 adult Gila monsters (95% CI = 37-225) inhabited the area along the 14-km transect that we surveyed most frequently; probability of detecting resident Gila monsters during surveys was |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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