Journal of Mammalogy最新文献

The Japanese Archipelago hosts a diverse group of mammalian species, including subterranean moles, whose migratory and dispersion patterns are believed to have been significantly influenced by environmental fluctuations during the Quaternary period. However, the genetic structure of these species has not been extensively studied using large-scale molecular data. In this study, we explored the population structure of 2 widely distributed mole species in Japan: the Lesser Japanese Mole (Mogera imaizumii), found mainly in eastern Honshu with a few isolated patches in western Honshu, and the Large Japanese Mole (M. wogura), distributed in western Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu. We constructed a genome sequence for M. wogura using the Chromium system and conducted a reduced genome representation analysis using multiplexed inter-simple sequence repeat genotyping by sequencing on M. imaizumii and M. wogura. Our findings indicate that M. imaizumii comprises 3 major genetic clusters (ncMim- 1 to 3) that are strongly differentiated (fixation index ranging from 0.376 to 0.478). We discovered genetic connections between populations in the southern Kinki area and isolated populations in western Japan. Mogera wogura consists of 5 main genetic clusters (ncMwo- 1 to 5). Evidence of introgression between 2 genetic clusters (ncMwo-2/ncMwo-3) was found among individuals from the Chugoku area, indicating secondary contact between the 2 differentiated populations. Both species shared a similar population boundary within the Kinki area, which may be associated with current and past geographic barriers. We confirmed that the Kinki region serves as an important site for the diversification of moles, where multiple factors (topographic barriers, interspecific interactions, and/or isolation related to vegetation) may have shaped their population genetic structures.

The Wolverine (Gulo gulo) is a cold-adapted species of conservation interest because it is sensitive to human development, disturbance, exploitation, and climate warming. Wolverine populations have been studied across much of their distributional range to evaluate patterns of genetic diversity, genetic structure, and gene flow. Little population structure has been detected in northwestern North America with microsatellite loci, but low genomic diversity in wolverines may limit detection of genetic differences in this highly vagile species. Here, we genotyped a relatively large sample of wolverines from across Alaska (US) and adjacent Yukon (Canada) with 12 microsatellite loci (n = 501) and 4,222 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs; n = 201) identified using restriction-site associated DNA sequencing. We compared the relative ability of our microsatellite and SNP datasets to evaluate population genetic structure, genetic diversity, differentiation, and isolation by distance (IBD). We predicted that the SNP dataset would detect a higher degree of genetic structure and provide more significant support for IBD. We found evidence for multiple genetic clusters, including genetic distinctiveness of wolverines in southeast Alaska and on the Kenai Peninsula. The SNP dataset detected additional genetic clusters that align largely with ecoregions, and the SNP dataset showed stronger evidence of IBD, while the 2 datasets were generally consistent in estimates of genetic diversity and differentiation among regional groups. Our results highlight the importance of genomic methods to assess gene flow in wolverines. Identifying population genetic structure allows an assessment of the potential impacts of conservation threats and is an important precursor for designing population monitoring programs.

Home range studies provide valuable insights into animal ecology and behavior, informing conservation efforts and management strategies. Although the Fishing Cat (Prionailurus viverrinus) is a globally threatened habitat specialist species, only a few studies have been conducted on their home range and social organization, especially in response to human influence. In this study, we tracked 11 fishing cats with satellite GPS collars to investigate their home range size and habitat use in and around Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve, Nepal. The minimum convex polygon (MCP) and autocorrelation-informed kernel density estimation (AKDE) were used to estimate home range sizes of the fishing cats. Altogether 2,303 locations were obtained from 11 collared cats. The average home ranges of fishing cats (n = 8) with 95% MCP and 95% AKDE were 29.12 ± SD 16.89 km² and 39.88 ± 26.16 km², respectively. Home range (95% AKDE) of adult females (21.72 ± SD 16.39 km², n = 4) was significantly smaller compared to males (58.03 ± SD 21.19 km², n = 4). Sex-specific social organization with a single male overlapping with multiple nonoverlapping adult females was consistent with home range behaviors of other carnivores. The highest number of locations of collared fishing cats were in tall grasslands, whereas they highly preferred wetlands. A large part (over one-third) of fishing cat home ranges covers human-dominated areas such as fishponds, agriculture, and settlements encompassing various threats to fishing cats including persecution, road kills, and dog attacks. To ensure long-term survival of these cats amid habitat alteration and human-wildlife conflict, we recommend Fishing Cat conservation activities focusing on raising awareness, especially in human-dominated landscapes.

Introduced species are one of the leading causes of declining global biodiversity and result in many billions of dollars of losses to the bioeconomy worldwide. Introduced species have become increasingly common due to globalization and climate change, and population genetics is a useful tool for the management of such species. The Eastern Fox Squirrel (Sciurus niger) is a highly successful invader that was introduced to many states in western North America throughout the 20th century. We used low-pass whole genome sequencing to evaluate phylogeographic structure across native and introduced ranges of this species and identify the putative number and geographic sources of introductions in California and Utah. We found minimal patterns of phylogeographic structure, consistent with recent range and population expansion since the Last Glacial Maximum. Additionally, we found evidence for multiple mitochondrial haplotypes in California and only 1 haplotype in Utah, which suggests that fox squirrels in California were sourced from multiple introduction events while those in Utah were likely sourced from a single event. Genomic resources generated in this study will be useful for future conservation efforts in this species and will assist with the ongoing management of its introductions across western North America.

In 2018, an adult male of a small-sized Tube-nosed Bat (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae: Murina) was captured at an arid cave located on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in Yushu City, Qinghai Province, China. Despite external morphological similarities with those of M. harpioloides and M. chrysochaetes, the individual in question displays explicit craniodental differences that distinguish it from either species. Morphological and morphometric evidence, coupled with phylogenetic analyses utilizing the mitochondrial COI gene, confirmed that it represents a distinct and still unknown species of Murina, described herewith as M. yushuensis sp. nov. Our research highlights the importance of future surveys aimed at exploring cryptic species diversity in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and adjacent under-surveyed regions.