Heterozygosity decrease in wild boar mating system ‐ a case of outbreeding avoidance?

Pérez‐González, Javier; Costa, Vânia; Santos, Paola Ferreira; Carranza, Juan; Zsolnai, Attila; Fernández-Llario, Pedro; Monteiro, Nuno; Anton, István; Beja‐Pereira, Albano

doi:10.1111/jzo.12426

Cited by 4 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 40 publications

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“…The microsatellite markers used are not directly comparable with those of the other studies. Pérez‐González et al (2017) describe a decrease in heterozygosity in wild boar in Spain, Portugal, and Romania and propose outbreeding avoidance as the most likely biological mechanism. According to their opinion, wild boars are being selected by processes such as sequential mating, multiple paternity, male‐biased dispersal, or male heterozygous advantage, which all contribute to increased genetic diversity.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Genetic Differentiation of Wild Boar Populations in a Region Endangered by African Swine Fever

et al. 2021

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For areas at risk for African swine fever (ASF) introduction from neighboring regions, it is important for epidemic control to know how wild boar (Sus scrofa) dispersion dynamics could be used to combat the spread of ASF. In this regard, long‐term information based on population genetic data makes an important contribution. We selected our study area as Rhineland‐Palatinate, Germany, because it had a high density of wild boars and was threatened by ASF via infected wild boars from neighboring Belgium. On an area of around 20,000 km2, we collected almost 1,200 blood samples from 22 wild boar hunting grounds. The study area included a network of potential barriers to movement, including roads and rivers. We assessed genetic differentiation based on microsatellite data. We used 2 spatial (Bayesian Analysis of Population Structure [BAPS] and TESS) and 1 non‐spatial (STRUCTURE) Bayesian model‐based approaches to analyze the data. Each of the algorithms detected 4 clusters with different cluster compositions in different areas and identified the highest degrees of differentiation between hunting grounds east and west of the Rhine River, between Pfalz and Eifel‐Hunsrück, and to a lesser degree between Westerwald and Taunus and between Eifel and Hunsrück. Thus, genetic evidence suggests barriers of different strength that might be helpful in a setup of complex and expensive measures against the spread of animal diseases such as ASF. The described approach could also provide valuable information for other threatened regions to contain ASF. © 2021 The Authors. The Journal of Wildlife Management published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of The Wildlife Society.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Genetic Differentiation of Wild Boar Populations in a Region Endangered by African Swine Fever

et al. 2021

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Female choice for related males in wild red-backed toadlets (Pseudophryne coriacea)

et al. 2019

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Mate choice for genetic benefits is assumed to be widespread in nature, yet very few studies have comprehensively examined relationships between female mate choice and male genetic quality in wild populations. Here, we use exhaustive sampling and single nucleotide polymorphisms to provide a partial test of the “good genes as heterozygosity” hypothesis and the “genetic compatibility” hypothesis in an entire population of terrestrial breeding red-backed toadlets, Pseudophryne coriacea. We found that successful males did not display higher heterozygosity, despite a positive relationship between male heterozygosity and offspring heterozygosity. Rather, in the larger of 2 breeding events, we found that successful males were more genetically similar to their mate than expected under random mating, indicating that females can use pre- or post-copulatory mate choice mechanisms to bias paternity toward more related males. These findings provide no support for the good genes as heterozygosity hypothesis but lend support to the genetic compatibility hypothesis. A complete test of this hypothesis will now require evaluating how parental genetic similarity impacts offspring fitness. Terrestrial toadlets show a high degree of site fidelity, high levels of genetic structuring between populations, and frequently hybridize with sister species. As such, female mate choice for related males may be an adaptive strategy to reduce outbreeding depression. Our findings provide the first population-wide evidence for non-random preferential inbreeding in a wild amphibian. We argue that such reproductive patterns may be common in amphibians because extreme genetic differentiation within meta-populations creates an inherently high risk of outbreeding depression.

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Host Genetic Diversity and Infectious Diseases. Focus on Wild Boar, Red Deer and Tuberculosis

Pérez‐González

Carranza

Martínez

et al. 2021

Animals

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Host genetic diversity tends to limit disease spread in nature and buffers populations against epidemics. Genetic diversity in wildlife is expected to receive increasing attention in contexts related to disease transmission and human health. Ungulates such as wild boar (Sus scrofa) and red deer (Cervus elaphus) are important zoonotic hosts that can be precursors to disease emergence and spread in humans. Tuberculosis is a zoonotic disease with relevant consequences and can present high prevalence in wild boar and red deer populations. Here, we review studies on the genetic diversity of ungulates and determine to what extent these studies consider its importance on the spread of disease. This assessment also focused on wild boar, red deer, and tuberculosis. We found a disconnection between studies treating genetic diversity and those dealing with infectious diseases. Contrarily, genetic diversity studies in ungulates are mainly concerned with conservation. Despite the existing disconnection between studies on genetic diversity and studies on disease emergence and spread, the knowledge gathered in each discipline can be applied to the other. The bidirectional applications are illustrated in wild boar and red deer populations from Spain, where TB is an important threat for wildlife, livestock, and humans.

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Heterozygosity decrease in wild boar mating system ‐ a case of outbreeding avoidance?

Cited by 4 publications

References 40 publications

Genetic Differentiation of Wild Boar Populations in a Region Endangered by African Swine Fever

Genetic Differentiation of Wild Boar Populations in a Region Endangered by African Swine Fever

Female choice for related males in wild red-backed toadlets (Pseudophryne coriacea)

Host Genetic Diversity and Infectious Diseases. Focus on Wild Boar, Red Deer and Tuberculosis

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