1 / 24

History and origin of Teshekpuk Lake caribou: development of molecular markers

History and origin of Teshekpuk Lake caribou: development of molecular markers. Kris Hundertmark, Kevin Colson & Karen Hibbard Rode. CARMA Network. Landscape genetics of Alaska wildlife: effects of changing environments on population structure

karan
Download Presentation

History and origin of Teshekpuk Lake caribou: development of molecular markers

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. History and origin of Teshekpuk Lake caribou: development of molecular markers Kris Hundertmark, Kevin Colson & Karen Hibbard Rode CARMA Network

  2. Landscape genetics of Alaska wildlife: effects of changing environments on population structure • Objective: determine drivers of structure in natural populations and the effect of change thereon CARMA Network

  3. http://www.absc.usgs.gov/research/caribou/images/herd-map.jpghttp://www.absc.usgs.gov/research/caribou/images/herd-map.jpg

  4. North Slope caribou are critical subsistence resources for local residents • Residents of Barrow, Atqasuk, & Nuiqsut harvest 6000-7000 subsistence caribou annually, 70% of which come from TCH • Conservation of North Slope herds is central to food security CARMA Network

  5. (Anchorage Museum at Rasmuson Center. Library and Archives General Photograph File

  6. Teshekpuk herd • TCH recognized as a herd since 1978 • Currently ~65,000 animals • Anecdotal evidence of interbreeding between caribou and reindeer in area

  7. Caribou populations are irregularly cyclic • Teshekpuk and Central Arctic are growing • Western Arctic and Porcupine are shrinking • Many herds across Canada are decreasing • Indirect evidence of population structure on North Slope

  8. Previous work showed little difference among North Slope herds • Did not sample Teshekpuk extensively (n = 3) • Used markers that were linked to functional genes • Results not surprising but not relevant

  9. Central Arctic, Porcupine caribou mingle There is now evidence that caribou mix between all of the North Slope caribou herds, the Porcupine, Central Arctic and Western Arctic herds. Using analysis of DNA, researchers from the University of Alaska, Texas A&M University and the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture found that caribou in the three herds are genetically related. This reflects migration of animals between the herds over many generations. Source: ANWR Information Brief, Arctic Power

  10. Questions • What are origins of Teshekpuk Herd? • Reindeer—caribou hybridization? • Satellite of Central Arctic or Western Arctic herds? • Always existed but was at low levels when we first started studying caribou?

  11. Objectives • Determine potential for molecular markers to differentiate between caribou and reindeer • AFLP • microsatellites • Use markers to detect hybrids • Use markers to differentiate among caribou herds

  12. Central Arctic Herd LARS, RRP Caribou, reindeer, hybrids Mulchatna Herd

  13. AFLP results Animals assigned to group basedon genetic similarity RRP reindeer Mulchatna LARS hybrids LARS reindeer LARS caribou

  14. Microsatellite markers—allele size ranges Moose(low diversity) Caribou(high diversity)

  15. What is the most likely number of groups based on microsatellite variation?

  16. Axes 1-3 explain 27, 20 and 15 % of variation respectively.

  17. Conclusions • AFLPs not informative for caribou • Microsats are useful for discrimination between caribou/reindeer & detection of hybrids • Further work may allow discrimination among herds • Need to increase sample sizes and include more herds

  18. Extension to other species • Muskox • genetically depauperate • We have generated repeatable AFLP markers • Sitka black-tailed deer • Use of Structure to differentiate among deer populations at fine scales

  19. Questions? Acknowledgments: EPSCoR IAB CARMA CARMA Network

  20. Questions? Acknowledgments: EPSCoR IAB

More Related