Expanding from local to continental scale — A genetic assessment of the Eurasian wolverine

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articleResearchpeer-review

  • Dominika Bujnáková
  • Gerhardus M. J. Lansink
  • Alexei V. Abramov
  • Tatiana Bulyonkova
  • Nikolai E. Dokuchaev
  • Trofim Domanov
  • Mikhail G. Dvornikov
  • Alexander Graphodatsky
  • Ekaterina Karabanina
  • Andrey N. Korolev
  • Vladimir V. Kozhechkin
  • Yuri N. Litvinov
  • Nikolay Mamaev
  • Vladimir G. Monakhov
  • Olga Nanova
  • Innokentiy Okhlopkov
  • Alexander P. Saveljev
  • Anton Schinov
  • Elena Shiriaeva
  • Mikhail Sidorov
  • Konstantin F. Tirronen
  • Evgenii S. Zakharov
  • Nadezhda N. Zakharova
  • Jouni Aspi
  • Laura Kvist

Aim: Our aim was to assess the population structure, genetic diversity and demographic history of the wolverine (Gulo gulo) throughout its entire Eurasian range. Additionally, we aimed to contextualize and put into perspective the state of the endangered Fennoscandian population by emphasizing its connectivity to other populations. Location: The main study area covered most of the Eurasian wolverine range, with samples from Finland, Russia, Kazakhstan and Mongolia. Methods: Using a 495 bp fragment of the mitochondrial DNA control region and a frequently used set of 14 microsatellite markers on an extensive dataset of samples, we assessed the population structure, genetic diversity, and demographic history of wolverines with a variety of population genetic analyses. Results: According to both nuclear and mitochondrial genetic markers, Eurasian wolverines exhibit substructure, with the most distinct population located in Fennoscandia. The Fennoscandian population has undergone a genetic bottleneck, likely influencing its genetic diversity, which is notably the lowest in Eurasia. Genetic diversity in the rest of Eurasia gradually rises towards the central part of the range and decreases again in the east, although not as significantly as in the west. Main Conclusions: This study reveals the population structure of wolverines across Eurasia and provides direction for allocating conservation efforts to sustain a diverse and connected wolverine population. While most of the Eurasian populations seem to be well-connected and genetically diverse, the Fennoscandian wolverines may need better connectivity to the other Eurasian populations to ensure gene flow and long-term persistence. Our study further highlights the importance of considering the population genetic structure and diversity of the entire species range when planning management strategies.

Original languageEnglish
JournalDiversity and Distributions
Number of pages18
ISSN1366-9516
DOIs
Publication statusE-pub ahead of print - 2024

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2024 The Authors. Diversity and Distributions published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

    Research areas

  • genetic diversity, Gulo gulo, large carnivore, mustelids, Palearctic, phylogeography, population structure

ID: 390592922