Identify Population Structure Research Articles

Population genetics and phylogeography of Trachylepis sulcata (Peters, 1867) and T. ansorgii (Boulenger, 1907) in south-western Africa

ABSTRACT Ansorge’s Rock Skink Trachylepis ansorgii (Boulenger, 1907) is an Angolan taxon, the taxonomic distinctiveness and geographic distribution of which are poorly understood. It is closely related to the widespread Western Rock Skink T. sulcata (Peters, 1867) from Namibia and South Africa, but heretofore a lack of samples has prevented a comprehensive assessment of T. ansorgii in a molecular phylogenetic context. We combine new genetic sampling from south-western Angola, including topotypical material of T. ansorgii, with published sequences from South Africa and Namibia to identify population structure, phylogenetic relationships, and divergence dates within this species complex. A multi-locus dataset of three nuclear and two mitochondrial loci recovered significant population structuring with a centre of diversity in south-western Angola and northern Namibia. Mitochondrial data recovered seven clades representing distinct geographic populations, while the nuclear data supported either two or three deeper groupings. Mito-nuclear discordance was observed with respect to the geographic boundary between T. ansorgii and T. sulcata. The nuclear data support a break along the western Kunene River (the political boundary between Angola and Namibia), while the mitochondrial data support this break ∼250 km to the north in south-western Angola. A time-calibrated BEAST phylogeny found the deepest species-level divergence to have occurred in the late Miocene/early Pliocene (∼6 mya), potentially related to the formation of the Kunene River. Our results support the recognition of both taxa at the species level, and add further evidence that south-western Angola is a centre of reptile diversity.

Are rabid raccoons (Procyon lotor) ready for the rapture? Determining the geographic origin of rabies virus-infected raccoons using RADcapture and microhaplotypes.

North America is recognized for the exceptional richness of rabies virus (RV) wildlife reservoir species. Management of RV is accomplished through vaccination targeting mesocarnivore reservoir populations, such as the raccoon (Procyon lotor) in Eastern North America. Raccoons are a common generalist species, and populations may reach high densities in developed areas, which can result in contact with humans and pets with potential exposures to the raccoon variant of RV throughout the eastern United States. Understanding the spatial movement of RV by raccoon populations is important for monitoring and refining strategies supporting the landscape-level control and local elimination of this lethal zoonosis. We developed a high-throughput genotyping panel for raccoons based on hundreds of microhaplotypes to identify population structure and genetic diversity relevant to rabies management programs. Throughout the eastern United States, we identified hierarchical population genetic structure with clusters that were connected through isolation-by-distance. We also illustrate that this genotyping approach can be used to support real-time management priorities by identifying the geographic origin of a rabid raccoon that was collected in an area of the United States that had been raccoon RV-free for 8 years. The results from this study and the utility of the microhaplotype panel and genotyping method will provide managers with information on raccoon ecology that can be incorporated into future management decisions.

Evaluating restriction enzyme selection for reduced representation sequencing in conservation genomics.

Conservation genomic studies in non-model organisms generally rely on reduced representation sequencing techniques based on restriction enzymes to identify population structure as well as candidate loci for local adaptation. While the expectation is that the reduced representation of the genome is randomly distributed, the proportion of the genome sampled might depend on the GC content of the recognition site of the restriction enzyme used. Here, we evaluated the distribution and functional composition of loci obtained after a reduced representation approach using Genotyping-by-Sequencing (GBS). To do so, we compared experimental data from two endemic fish species (Symphodus ocellatus and Symphodus tinca, EcoT22I enzyme) and two ecosystem engineer sea urchins (Paracentrotus lividus and Arbacia lixula, ApeKI enzyme). In brief, we mapped the sequenced loci to the phylogenetically closest reference genome available (Labrus bergylta in the fish and Strongylocentrotus purpuratus in the sea urchin datasets), classified them as exonic, intronic and intergenic, and studied their function by using Gene Ontology (GO) terms. We also simulated the effect of using both enzymes in the two reference genomes. In both simulated and experimental data, we detected an enrichment towards exonic or intergenic regions depending on the restriction enzyme used and failed to detect differences between total loci and candidate loci for adaptation in the empirical dataset. Most of the functions assigned to the mapped loci were shared between the four species and involved a myriad of general functions. Our results highlight the importance of restriction enzyme selection and the need for high-quality annotated genomes in conservation genomic studies.

Harnessing deep learning for population genetic inference.

In population genetics, the emergence of large-scale genomic data for various species and populations has provided new opportunities to understand the evolutionary forces that drive genetic diversity using statistical inference. However, the era of population genomics presents new challenges in analysing the massive amounts of genomes and variants. Deep learning has demonstrated state-of-the-art performance for numerous applications involving large-scale data. Recently, deep learning approaches have gained popularity in population genetics; facilitated by the advent of massive genomic data sets, powerful computational hardware and complex deep learning architectures, they have been used to identify population structure, infer demographic history and investigate natural selection. Here, we introduce common deep learning architectures and provide comprehensive guidelines for implementing deep learning models for population genetic inference. We also discuss current challenges and future directions for applying deep learning in population genetics, focusing on efficiency, robustness and interpretability.

Hybridisation rates, population structure, and dispersal of sambar deer (Cervus unicolor) and rusa deer (Cervus timorensis) in south-eastern Australia

Context Introduced populations of sambar deer (Cervus unicolor) and rusa deer (Cervus timorensis) are present across south-eastern Australia and are subject to local population control to alleviate their negative impacts. For management to be effective, identification of dispersal capability and management units is necessary. These species also readily hybridise, so additional investigation of hybridisation rates across their distributions is necessary to understand the interactions between the two species. Aims Measure the hybridisation rate of sambar and rusa deer, assess broad-scale population structure present within both species and identify distinct management units for future population control, and measure the likely dispersal capability of both species. Methods In total, 198 sambar deer, 189 rusa deer, and three suspected hybrid samples were collected across Victoria and New South Wales (NSW). After sequencing and filtering, 14 099 polymorphic single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers were retained for analysis. Hybridisation rates were assessed before the data were split by species to identify population structure, diversity indices, and dispersal distances. Key results Across the entire dataset, 17 hybrids were detected. Broad-scale population structure was evident in sambar deer, but not among the sites where rusa deer were sampled. Analysis of dispersal ability showed that a majority of deer movement occurred within 20 km in both species, suggesting limited dispersal. Conclusions Distinct management units of sambar deer can be identified from the dataset, allowing independent population control. Although broad-scale population structure was not evident in the rusa deer populations, dispersal limits identified suggest that rusa deer sites sampled in this study could be managed separately. Sambar × rusa deer hybrids are present in both Victoria and NSW and can be difficult to detect on the basis of morphology alone. Implications Genetic analysis can identify broad-scale management units necessary for population control, and estimates of dispersal capability can assist in delineating management units where broad-scale population structure may not be apparent. The negative impacts associated with hybridisation require further investigation to determine whether removal of hybrids should be considered a priority management aim.

Anatomical variability and population structure of Cucumis melo L. accessions collected from Iran

Melon (Cucumis melo) is one of the most important cultivated cucurbits. In this project, the genetic variability among 14 accessions of melon collected by the authors has been studied using 23 anatomical characteristics across 2 consecutive years as well as 146 random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers. Combined analysis of variance revealed significant effects on genotype and year ? genotype effects. Among examined anatomical characters, the highest CV% values across two years belonged to fruit store at room temperature (88.96%, 103.6%) and total fruit weight (42.2%, 40.00%), while the lowest CV% values were observed in flower petal width (0.31%, 0.21%), flower petal length (0.28%, 0.49%), and peduncle length (0.40%, 0.19%). Classification of melon accessions based on anatomical characteristics using the Ward method produced three groups. The highest Jaccard?s similarity coefficient (0.76) was observed between accessions ?Atashi koluche? and ?Atashi miyaneh? and the lowest value (0.49) was found between accessions ?Bakermellon? and ?Mashhadi? with the mean value of 0.59. In this study, OPA06 and OPB13 primers possessed greater efficiency in the genetic evaluation of the studied germplasm. Analysis of population structure, which imply on the existence of admixture in the studied melon germplasm, revealing three subpopulations. Accession ?Sabzevari? identified as mixed subgroups. From the breeder?s view, the introduced heterotic groups can be utilized in parental selection for the construction of mapping population and the identified population structure can prevent any false positive output in marker-trait association studies of melon.

Development and characterization of microsatellite markers for the tsetse species Glossina brevipalpis and preliminary population genetics analyses.

Tsetse flies, the vectors of African trypanosomes are of key medical and economic importance and one of the constraints for the development of Africa. Tsetse fly control is one of the most effective and sustainable strategies used for controlling the disease. Knowledge about population structure and level of gene flow between neighbouring populations of the target vector is of high importance to develop appropriate strategies for implementing effective management programmes. Microsatellites are commonly used to identify population structure and assess dispersal of the target populations and have been developed for several tsetse species but were lacking for Glossina brevipalpis. In this study, we screened the genome of G. brevipalpis to search for suitable microsatellite markers and nine were found to be efficient enough to distinguish between different tsetse populations. The availability of these novel microsatellite loci will help to better understand the population biology of G. brevipalpis and to assess the level of gene flow between different populations. Such information will help with the development of appropriate strategies to implement the sterile insect technique (SIT) in the framework of an area-wide integrated pest management (AW-IPM) approach to manage tsetse populations and ultimately address the trypanosomoses problem in these targeted areas.

Genome-Wide Association Study of Complex Traits in Maize Detects Genomic Regions and Genes for Increasing Grain Yield and Grain Quality

This review describes the current status of genome-wide association study (GWAS) of the major crops in maize (Zea mays L.) concentrate on performing association mapping as a novel method in associating genetic and complex traits, current strategy in analyzing of phenotype and genotype data to identify population structure and linkage disequilibrium. GWAS has an important role in food security because this method identified many crucial genomic regions of important traits in the most commercialize crops of the world, such as maize. These complex traits including yield, grain quality, biofortification, biotic and abiotic resistance. GWAS has many advantages correlated with reducing genotyping cost and research time, increasing mapping resolution and larger allele number. Meanwhile, GWAS has two main limitations related to population size and the number of markers. There are many software packages for data analysis in GWAS. The most commonly software that was used in GWAS especially in this crop is TASSEL because frequently updated. Recently, many research papers concentrated on GWAS in maize. GWAS analysis accelerated identification of genetic regions, candidate genes within these genomic regions and their metabolomic analysis correlated to the complex traits in maize for increasing grain yield and grain quality to fulfill the market demands.

Comparison of genetic variation between rare and common congeners of Dipodomys with estimates of contemporary and historical effective population size.

Species with low effective population sizes are at greater risk of extinction because of reduced genetic diversity. Such species are more vulnerable to chance events that decrease population sizes (e.g. demographic stochasticity). Dipodomys elator, (Texas kangaroo rat) is a kangaroo rat that is classified as threatened in Texas and field surveys from the past 50 years indicate that the distribution of this species has decreased. This suggests geographic range reductions that could have caused population fluctuations, potentially impacting effective population size. Conversely, the more common and widespread D. ordii (Ord’s kangaroo rat) is thought to exhibit relative geographic and demographic stability. We assessed the genetic variation of D. elator and D. ordii samples using 3RAD, a modified restriction site associated sequencing approach. We hypothesized that D. elator would show lower levels of nucleotide diversity, observed heterozygosity, and effective population size when compared to D. ordii. We were also interested in identifying population structure within contemporary samples of D. elator and detecting genetic variation between temporal samples to understand demographic dynamics. We analyzed up to 61,000 single nucleotide polymorphisms. We found that genetic variability and effective population size in contemporary D. elator populations is lower than that of D. ordii. There is slight, if any, population structure within contemporary D. elator samples, and we found low genetic differentiation between spatial or temporal historical samples. This indicates little change in nuclear genetic diversity over 30 years. Results suggest that genetic diversity of D. elator has remained stable despite reduced population size and/or abundance, which may indicate a metapopulation-like system, whose fluctuations might counteract species extinction.

Over the hills and through the farms: Land use and topography influence genetic connectivity of northern leopard frog (Rana pipiens) in the Prairie Pothole Region

ContextAgricultural land-use conversion has fragmented prairie wetland habitats in the Prairie Pothole Region (PPR), an area with one of the most wetland dense regions in the world. This fragmentation can lead to negative consequences for wetland obligate organisms, heightening risk of local extinction and reducing evolutionary potential for populations to adapt to changing environments.ObjectivesThis study models biotic connectivity of prairie-pothole wetlands using landscape genetic analyses of the northern leopard frog (Rana pipiens) to (1) identify population structure and (2) determine landscape factors driving genetic differentiation and possibly leading to population fragmentation.MethodsFrogs from 22 sites in the James River and Lake Oahe river basins in North Dakota were genotyped using Best-RAD sequencing at 2868 bi-allelic single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Population structure was assessed using STRUCTURE, DAPC, and fineSTRUCTURE. Circuitscape was used to model resistance values for ten landscape variables that could affect habitat connectivity.ResultsSTRUCTURE results suggested a panmictic population, but other more sensitive clustering methods identified six spatially organized clusters. Circuit theory-based landscape resistance analysis suggested land use, including cultivated crop agriculture, and topography were the primary influences on genetic differentiation.ConclusionWhile the R. pipiens populations appear to have high gene flow, we found a difference in the patterns of connectivity between the eastern portion of our study area which was dominated by cultivated crop agriculture, versus the western portion where topographic roughness played a greater role. This information can help identify amphibian dispersal corridors and prioritize lands for conservation or restoration.

The role of multiple Pleistocene refugia in promoting diversification in the Pacific Northwest.

Pleistocene glacial cycles drastically changed the distributions of taxa endemic to temperate rainforests in the Pacific Northwest, with many experiencing reduced habitat suitability during glacial periods. In this study, we investigate whether glacial cycles promoted intraspecific divergence and whether subsequent range changes led to secondary contact and gene flow. For seven invertebrate species endemic to the PNW, we estimated species distribution models (SDMs) and projected them onto current and historical climate conditions to assess how habitat suitability changed during glacial cycles. Using single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) data from these species, we assessed population genetic structure and used a machine-learning approach to compare models with and without gene flow between populations upon secondary contact after the last glacial maximum (LGM). Finally, we estimated divergence times and rates of gene flow between populations. SDMs suggest that there was less suitable habitat in the North Cascades and Northern Rocky Mountains during glacial compared to interglacial periods, resulting in reduced habitat suitability and increased habitat fragmentation during the LGM. Our genomic data identify population structure in all taxa, and support gene flow upon secondary contact in five of the seven taxa. Parameter estimates suggest that population divergences date to the later Pleistocene for most populations. Our results support a role of refugial dynamics in driving intraspecific divergence in the Cascades Range. In these invertebrates, population structure often does not correspond to current biogeographic or environmental barriers. Rather, population structure may reflect refugial lineages that have since expanded their ranges, often leading to secondary contact between once isolated lineages.

Phytophthora capsici Populations Are Structured by Host, Geography, and Fluopicolide Sensitivity.

Phytophthora capsici epidemics are propelled by warm temperatures and wet conditions. With temperatures and inland flooding in many locations worldwide expected to rise as a result of global climate change, understanding of population structure can help to inform management of P. capsici in the field and prevent devastating epidemics. Thus, we investigated the effect of host crop, geographical origin, fungicide sensitivity, and mating type on shaping the population structure of P. capsici in the eastern United States. Our fungicide invitro assays identified the emergence of insensitive isolates for fluopicolide and mefenoxam. A set of 12 microsatellite markers proved informative to assign 157 P. capsici isolates to five distinct genetic clusters. Implementation of Bayesian structure, population differentiation, genetic diversity statistics, and index of association analysis, allowed us to identify population structure by host with some correspondence with genetic clusters for cucumber and squash isolates. We found weak population structure by state for geographically close isolates. In this study, we discovered that North Carolina populations stratify by fluopicolide sensitivity with insensitive isolates experiencing nonrandom mating. Our findings highlight the need for careful monitoring of local field populations, improved selection of relevant isolates for breeding efforts, and hypervigilant surveillance of resistance to different fungicides.

Conservation of genetic resources for sustainable aquaculture

Conservation of genetic resources for sustainable aquaculture

Freshwater fisheries monitoring in northern ecosystems using Indigenous ecological knowledge, genomics, and life history: Insights for community decision-making

Natural resources in northern regions are often data-limited because they are difficult and expensive to access. Indigenous ecological knowledge (IEK) can provide information similar to, different from, or complementary to Western scientific data (WSD). We evaluated the general hypothesis that congruence in outcomes of IEK and WSD for population monitoring parameters is determined by temporal and spatial scale of the knowledge type. Parameters included population structure, degree of philopatry, morphological variation (and conservation status for one species), and genomics was a key Western scientific method. We evaluated this hypothesis in three subsistence and recreational fisheries (walleye, lake trout, and northern pike) in Mistassini Lake, Quebec, Canada. Concordance of outcomes was varied. IEK provided richer information on the biology, distribution, and morphological variation observable with the eyes. However, IEK cannot “see” into the genome, and WSD identified population structure and history more precisely than IEK. Both knowledge types could “see” change in populations, and the nature of what was seen both converged and was complementary. Determining when IEK and WSD are complementary or reach common conclusions may allow Indigenous communities to use both together, or one knowledge type over another when either is more desired, appropriate, or time- or cost-efficient to adopt.

Taxonomy, Population Structure and Genetic Diversity of Iranian Leishmania Strains of Cutaneous and Visceral Leishmaniasis.

Despite the broad distribution of leishmaniasis in Iran, there is a little genetic information about the causative agents and epidemiological status of the disease. Genetic diversity of the parasite is suggested to be one of the factors, which influences the clinical manifestations of the disease. In this study, we investigated the genetic variations, population structure, and evolutionary history of Leishmania species from endemic foci of Iran. Fifty-two isolates from humans, canines, and rodents from different endemic foci of Iran were used to sequence the N-acetyl glucosamine-1-phosphate transferase (Nagt) gene. Phylogenetic and structure analyses were performed to investigate inter- and intra-species diversity of the Leishmania isolates. In total, 10 haplotypes including L. major (n = 6), L. tropica (n = 2), L. infantum (n = 1) and L. turanica (n = 1) were identified across 52 isolates. Haplotype diversity (Hd) ranged from zero for L. infantum and L. turanica to 0.78 ± 0.136 for L. major. This study identified population structure of Leishmania isolates from different geographical regions of Iran. The results of the phylogenetic tree showed 4 distinct clades for each species of Leishmania. In addition, the highest intraspecies diversity was observed among L. major isolates. No correlation was observed between species and geographic distribution of haplotypes. Leishmania isolates were identified at the species level using the Nagt gene, low variation within species indicates conservation of this gene in Leishmania. The results provide knowledge into the evolutionary history of Iranian Leishmania isolates.

The American Kestrel (Falco sparverius) genoscape: implications for monitoring, management, and subspecies boundaries

AbstractIdentifying population genetic structure is useful for inferring evolutionary process and comparing the resulting structure with subspecies boundaries can aid in species management. The American Kestrel (Falco sparverius) is a widespread and highly diverse species with 17 total subspecies, only 2 of which are found north of U.S./Mexico border (F. s. paulus is restricted to southeastern United States, while F. s. sparverius breeds across the remainder of the U.S. and Canadian distribution). In many parts of their U.S. and Canadian range, American Kestrels have been declining, but it has been difficult to interpret demographic trends without a clearer understanding of gene flow among populations. Here we sequence the first American Kestrel genome and scan the genome of 197 individuals from 12 sampling locations across the United States and Canada in order to identify population structure. To validate signatures of population structure and fill in sampling gaps across the U.S. and Canadian range, we screened 192 outlier loci in an additional 376 samples from 34 sampling locations. Overall, our analyses support the existence of 5 genetically distinct populations of American Kestrels—eastern, western, Texas, Florida, and Alaska. Interestingly, we found that while our genome-wide genetic data support the existence of previously described subspecies boundaries in the United States and Canada, genetic differences across the sampled range correlate more with putative migratory phenotypes (resident, long-distance, and short-distance migrants) rather than a priori described subspecies boundaries per se. Based on our results, we suggest the resulting 5 genetically distinct populations serve as the foundation for American Kestrel conservation and management in the face of future threats.

Genetic Diversification of Adelphobates quinquevittatus (Anura: Dendrobatidae) and the Influence of Upper Madeira River Historical Dynamics

The effect of large Amazonian rivers as barriers to distribution of species and gene flow has been the subject of debate for more than a century. The Madeira River is the largest tributary of the Amazon River, with the region comprising its basin undergoing complex changes from the Pliocene through the Holocene. Accordingly, the evolution of its drainage seems to have been an important factor in the biological diversification of different taxa. We characterize the phylogeographic pattern of Adelphobates quinquevittatus, focusing on the role of the Madeira River and the environmental changes in the region, as potential barriers to gene flow. For this, we used sequences of two mitochondrial genes from 65 individuals sampled in 15 locations. We identify population structure partially related to the current Madeira River configuration. However the most upstream session does not represent a historical barrier, suggesting that may have attained its current geomorphological configuration recently. Divergence among clades began in the last 1 million years, coinciding with documented changes in this landscape, and may be related to river dynamics associated with the presence of open vegetation areas. This phylogeographic pattern supports the dynamism of the drainage, and the historical complexity of the upper Madeira River.

Population discrimination of the French grunt, Haemulon flavolineatum (Desmarest, 1823) between the Campeche Bank and the Mexican Caribbean Sea, inferred by microsatellite loci

Genetic structure of the French grunt Haemulon flavolineatum, population was determined in four localities, two located in the Campeche Bank (Cayo Arcas and Alacranes) and two in the Mexican Caribbean (Puerto Morelos and Banco Chinchorro) using microsatellite loci. Intra- and inter-population genetic variabilities, and genetic distances were evaluated. The Monmonier’s maximum-difference algorithm was used to identify population structure and the putative genetic barriers across the oceanographic landscape. Overall expected heterozygosity (He) was lower (0.81) than the observed heterozygosity (Ho = 0.85). Inbreeding index indicated an excess of heterozygotes occur within the whole study area (FIS = -0.039); while fixation index denoted genetic significant differences between localities (FST = 0.033). Nei’s genetic distances were wider between Puerto Morelos and Alacranes (0.232), while the narrower were observed between Alacranes and Cayo Arcas (0.106). Monmonier’s algorithm revealed three putative barriers: the first one separated the Campeche Bank from the Caribbean, the second one separated Puerto Morelos from Chinchorro, and finally the third one separated Cayo Arcas from Alacranes. Regional currents allow dispersion of H. flavolineatum between distant populations of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef and the Gulf of Mexico, but they are not enough to homogenize the populations to form a panmictic population.

Genetic and morphological differentiation inWashingtonia(Arecaceae): solving a century-old palm mystery

AbstractWashingtonia is a genus of palms currently composed of two species, W. filifera and W. robusta, distributed in the States of Baja California, Baja California Sur, and Sonora in Mexico, and Southern California and Arizona in the United States. The group has been a taxonomic challenge due to a lack of type specimens, incomplete protologues, highly variable vegetative morphology, human dispersal of seeds, limited fieldwork in native populations and poor representation in herbaria. Here, we analyse the population structure and phylogenetic relationships and test whether morphological traits correlate with genetic variation throughout its distributional range. We used genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) data to identify population structure and delimit species. We further used these data to determine whether morphological traits varied among genetic regions. We analysed 188 individuals from 21 populations of Washingtonia across its distribution range using multivariate and Bayesian methods. Our results showed great consistency in the discovery of four genetic groups: (1) Southern Peninsula, (2) Mid-Peninsula, (3) Northern Peninsula and (4) Sonoran mainland. The geographical limits to these clusters coincide very well with the large natural regions of the Sonoran Desert. Our analyses indicate that Washingtonia populations are highly structured within four major geographical regions. Even when no single morphological trait can be used to determine the genetic identity of Washingtonia palms, leaf greenness, a novel morphological trait, can be useful. Our results provide a robust phylogenetic analysis of Washingtonia settling a taxonomic debate that has lasted over a century.

Inconsistency Between Socio-Spatial and Genetic Structure in a Coastal Dolphin Population

Identifying population structure and boundaries among communities of wildlife exposed to anthropogenic threats is key to successful conservation management. Previous studies on the demography, social and spatial structure of Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops aduncus) suggested four nearly discrete behavioral communities in Perth metropolitan waters, Western Australia. We investigated the genetic structure of these four communities using highly polymorphic microsatellite markers and part of the hypervariable segment of the mitochondrial control region. Overall, there was no evidence of spatial genetic structure. We found significant, yet very small genetic differentiation between some communities, most likely due to the presence of highly related individuals within these communities. Our findings of high levels of contemporary migration and highly related individuals among communities point toward a panmictic genetic population with continuous gene flow among each of the communities. In species with slow life histories and fission-fusion dynamics, such asTursiopsspp., genetic and socio-spatial structures may reflect different timescales. Thus, despite genetic similarity, each social community should be considered as a distinct ecological unit to be conserved because they are exposed to different anthropogenic threats and occur in different ecological habitats, social structure being as important as genetic information for immediate conservation management. The estuarine community, in particular, is highly vulnerable and appropriate conservation measures are needed in order to maintain its connectivity with the adjacent, semi-enclosed coastal communities.