Abstract
Globally, vulture species are experiencing major population declines. The southern African Cape vulture (Gyps coprotheres) has undergone severe population collapse which has led to a listing of Endangered by the IUCN. Here, a comprehensive genetic survey of G. coprotheres is conducted using microsatellite markers. Analyses revealed an overall reduction in heterozygosity compared to other vulture species that occur in South Africa (Gypaetus barbatus, Necrosyrtes monachus, and Gyps africanus). Bayesian clustering analysis and principal coordinate analysis identified shallow, subtle population structuring across South Africa. This provides some support for regional natal philopatry in this species. Despite recent reductions in population size, a genetic bottleneck was not detected by the genetic data. The G. coprotheres, however, did show a significant deficiency of overall heterozygosity. This, coupled with the elevated levels of inbreeding and reduced effective population size, suggests that G. coprotheres is genetically depauperate. Given that genetic variation is considered a prerequisite for adaptation and population health, the low genetic diversity within G. coprotheres populations is of concern and has implications for the future management and conservation of this species.
Highlights
Examining the spatial distribution of genetic diversity, within and among populations, is important in the management and conservation of threatened taxa[1,2]
Identity analysis estimates showed that all specimens were unique and all 605 G. coprotheres individuals were used in subsequent analyses
The sample sizes of the other three species were much smaller than that used for G. coprotheres the same genetic markers were amplified across all vulture species examined, allowing for direct comparison of levels of genetic diversity
Summary
Examining the spatial distribution of genetic diversity, within and among populations, is important in the management and conservation of threatened taxa[1,2]. African vultures are vulnerable, with a recent study suggesting that populations of six of the eleven African species have declined by an average of 62% over the past 30 years[9] Despite this alarming trend, little is known about the population genetics of African vultures and what impact the reduction in population size has had on the genetic diversity of these birds. There are currently three core G. coprotheres breeding populations in South Africa: one in northern South Africa (Limpopo and Mpumalanga provinces); the second in the high lying regions of the KwaZulu-Natal and Eastern Cape provinces of South Africa and Lesotho[14,18,29]; and an small isolated breeding colony in the Western Cape province of South Africa[18]. This study aims to examine the regional connectivity among six breeding colonies and provide insight into natal philopatry in G. coprotheres
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