Fine‐scale spatial genetic structure in the Minami‐daito Island population of the Ryukyu scops owl Otus elegans

Abstract

AbstractMultiple factors can give rise to population genetic structure. Therefore, the generating process of genetic structure should be examined from multiple aspects simultaneously. We describe the fine‐scale genetic structure of the Ryukyu scops owl Otus elegans interpositus population on Minami‐daito Island and test isolation‐by‐distance, isolation‐by‐adaptation and assortative mating as candidates for its underlying mechanisms. Spatial principal component analysis detected a spatial autocorrelation structure for males, but not for females. Discriminant analysis of principal components and STRUCTURE analysis allowed us to classify the owl population into six genetically distinct groups. These clustering results were associated with relatedness. In addition, to these descriptive analyses, analyses of mechanisms preferred isolation‐by‐distance to others. Therefore, we inferred that isolation by distance and kinship structure are the most important underlying processes leading to their genetic structure.