Genetic structure, spatial organization, and dispersal in two populations of bat‐eared foxes

Jan F Kamler,David W Macdonald,Melissa M Gray,Annie Oh

doi:10.1002/ece3.683

Jan F Kamler, David W Macdonald + Show 2 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.683

Copy DOI

Abstract

We incorporated radio-telemetry data with genetic analysis of bat-eared foxes (Otocyon megalotis) from individuals in 32 different groups to examine relatedness and spatial organization in two populations in South Africa that differed in density, home-range sizes, and group sizes. Kin clustering occurred only for female dyads in the high-density population. Relatedness was negatively correlated with distance only for female dyads in the high-density population, and for male and mixed-sex dyads in the low-density population. Home-range overlap of neighboring female dyads was significantly greater in the high compared to low-density population, whereas overlap within other dyads was similar between populations. Amount of home-range overlap between neighbors was positively correlated with genetic relatedness for all dyad-site combinations, except for female and male dyads in the low-density population. Foxes from all age and sex classes dispersed, although females (mostly adults) dispersed farther than males. Yearlings dispersed later in the high-density population, and overall exhibited a male-biased dispersal pattern. Our results indicated that genetic structure within populations of bat-eared foxes was sex-biased, and was interrelated to density and group sizes, as well as sex-biases in philopatry and dispersal distances. We conclude that a combination of male-biased dispersal rates, adult dispersals, and sex-biased dispersal distances likely helped to facilitate inbreeding avoidance in this evolutionarily unique species of Canidae.

Highlights

The genetic structure within populations has been shown to be affected by dispersal and philopatry patterns among birds and mammals (Loison et al 1999; Ji et al 2001; Temple et al 2006; Costello et al 2008; Ortego et al 2008)
Similar alleles were observed between the two populations (Table 1) but FST, RST, and Principal coordinate analysis (PCA) suggested that the Benfontein and private ranches (PR) populations were somewhat differentiated (Fig. 1)
In contrast to our prediction, genetic clustering of female dyads did not occur in the low-density population, where foxes were primarily in monogamous pairs

Summary

Introduction

The genetic structure within populations has been shown to be affected by dispersal and philopatry patterns among birds and mammals (Loison et al 1999; Ji et al 2001; Temple et al 2006; Costello et al 2008; Ortego et al 2008). Determining the genetic structure in mammals has been useful for explaining cooperation (Widdig et al 2001; Creel and Creel 2002), space use (Støen et al 2005; Maher 2009), mating systems (Dugdale et al 2008; Wright et al 2010), prey use (Carmichael et al 2001), dispersal distances (Spong and Creel 2001), and habitat use (Sacks et al 2005) within populations Among terrestrial carnivores, both solitary and group living species have exhibited genetic clustering of relatives based on female philopatry and male dispersal.

Methods

Results

Conclusion