Conservation concerns associated with low genetic diversity for K\u2019gari\u2013Fraser Island dingoes

G C Conroy,A Wardell-Johnson,S M Ogbourne,L Bridges,R W Lamont,D Stephens

doi:10.1038/s41598-021-89056-z

G C Conroy, A Wardell-Johnson + Show 4 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-89056-z

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Abstract

The dingo population on world heritage-listed K’gari-Fraser Island (K’gari) is amongst the most well-known in Australia. However, an absence of population genetic data limits capacity for informed conservation management. We used 9 microsatellite loci to compare the levels of genetic diversity and genetic structure of 175 K’gari dingo tissue samples with 264 samples from adjacent mainland regions. Our results demonstrated that the K'gari population has significantly lower genetic diversity than mainland dingoes (AR, HE, PAR; p < 0.05) with a fourfold reduction in effective population size (Ne = 25.7 vs 103.8). There is also strong evidence of genetic differentiation between the island and mainland populations. These results are in accordance with genetic theory for small, isolated, island populations, and most likely the result of low initial diversity and founder effects such as bottlenecks leading to decreased diversity and drift. As the first study to incorporate a large sample set of K’gari dingoes, this provides invaluable baseline data for future research, which should incorporate genetic and demographic monitoring to ensure long-term persistence. Given that human-associated activities will continue to result in dingo mortality, it is critical that genetic factors are considered in conservation management decisions to avoid deleterious consequences for this iconic dingo population.

Highlights

The dingo population on world heritage-listed K’gari-Fraser Island (K’gari) is amongst the most wellknown in Australia
Based on the hypothesis that there may be conservation concerns associated with genetic factors relevant to small, island-bound populations, the primary objective of this study is to address the lack of population genetic data relating to the K’gari dingo population
Genetic variation provides a fundamental basis for evolutionary change and forms a significant factor in the ability of populations to adapt and evolve in response to extrinsic environmental p ressures[50]

Summary

Introduction

The dingo population on world heritage-listed K’gari-Fraser Island (K’gari) is amongst the most wellknown in Australia. Archeological evidence of the dingo’s presence in Australia only extends to 3500 years[11] whilst genetic evidence ranges from 500010,12 to 18,000 years a go[13] The latter figure is considered unlikely, given their historical and ongoing absence from Tasmania, which has been geographically isolated from mainland Australia for ~ 12,000 years[14,15]. In Queensland, they are protected under the Nature Conservation Act 1992 in conservation areas such as national parks but listed as a declared pest under the Rural Lands Protection Act 1985, with an impetus for landowners to cull them under the Biosecurity Act 201517 This contradictory legal status results in the dingo being protected in some areas (national parks, Aboriginal reserves), but subject to lethal control elsewhere[18]. Since 1788, the destruction of dingoes to protect livestock interests has been widespread, with culling associated with bounties on scalps and skins presenting a significant threat to the species[18]

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