Genetic structure and recovery of white‐tailed deer in Missouri

Abstract

The white‐tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) of Missouri have undergone changes in the past 100 years. From a historical estimate of 700,000 individuals, deer were nearly extirpated from the state following overexploitation in the late 1800s. Despite this, deer have since undergone a rapid expansion to the current population of 1.4 million. Because of this complex recent history, we sought to understand the levels and distribution of genetic diversity in deer across Missouri. We genotyped 751 deer at 10 microsatellite loci and used genetic distance metrics and Bayesian clustering analyses to identify distinct genetic groups. We also sequenced the mitochondrial control region from a subset (n = 248) of deer to identify historical lineages. We found high levels of nuclear marker diversity (HE = 0.818) and low, but statistically significant, levels of differentiation among regions. The high level of mitochondrial diversity (48 haplotypes; haplotype diversity = 0.621–0.964) is reflected in a haplotype network that suggests the persistent signature of translocated lineages. Overall, the white‐tailed deer of Missouri now represent a highly diverse population with no indication that there are barriers to gene flow. This will be an important consideration for the management of disease resistance and spread throughout the state. © 2018 The Wildlife Society.

Evaluating wildlife translocations using genomics: A bighorn sheep case study

“…In contrast, our results for restored herds did not suggest isolation‐by‐distance, but instead a strong genetic influence of translocations. This is consistent with patterns observed in restored white‐tailed deer ( Odocoileus virginianus ) populations, where little genetic differentiation existed due to translocations to repopulate previously occupied areas (Budd et al., 2018).…”

Genetic analyses of the parasitic nematode,Parelaphostrongylus tenuis, in Missouri and Kentucky reveal unexpected levels of diversity and population differentiation

“…Between 1935 and 1953, the population recovered through natural recruitment as well as the translocation of deer from Wisconsin, Oklahoma and Tennessee (Gassett, 2001). Today, white-tailed deer in both Missouri and Kentucky have high levels of genetic diversity and low levels of differentiation across the landscape (Doerner et al, 2005;Budd et al, 2018), consistent with rapid population growth and the mixing of multiple lineages derived from recovering native populations and translocated individuals. Our data suggest that these processes also resulted in high levels of genetic diversity within state populations and genetic differentiation between states in the parasitic nematode P. tenuis.…”

“…In Missouri, the host population declined to near extirpation by the late 1800s. A combination of hunting limitations, predator eradication and translocations from Wisconsin, Michigan and Minnesota between 1925 and 1957 restored the Missouri population, which has expanded to an estimated size today of 1.4 million (Bennitt and Nagel, 1937; McDonald and Miller, 2004; Budd et al ., 2018). Similarly, the Kentucky population was supplemented by deer from Wisconsin in the 1920s, then driven down to approximately 100 individuals by around 1935.…”

“…Thus, by examining the population genetic structure of P. tenuis , the possibility of local adaptation and spatial variation of virulence can be inferred. In the case of P. tenuis , its primary host, the white-tailed deer, has been translocated throughout the eastern US and shows high neutral genetic diversity and low genetic differentiation at a broad scale (DeYoung et al ., 2003; Budd et al ., 2018). But at a finer scale, white-tailed deer may exhibit spatial genetic structure due to habitat discontinuities (Blanchong et al ., 2007) and/or social structure (Comer et al ., 2005; Cullingham et al ., 2011), which may also correlate to geographic barriers for P. tenuis (Jacques et al ., 2015).…”

Spatial population genetics in heavily managed species: Separating patterns of historical translocation from contemporary gene flow in white-tailed deer

“…2), firmly establishing its genetic legacy as extending from imported deer. Mitochondrial haplotypes putatively originating from Wisconsin were also uncovered in Missouri, Kentucky, and Mississippi (Budd, Berkman, Anderson, Koppelman, & Eggert, 2018; DeYoung et al, 2003; Doerner et al, 2005).…”