Molecular phylogenetics of western deer mice (<i>Peromyscus</i>): Taxonomic and biogeographic implications

Greenbaum, Ira F.; Chirhart, Scott E.; Walker, Mindy L.; Honeycutt, Rodney L.

doi:10.1894/0038-4909-62.2.129

Cited by 6 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 25 publications

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“…In general, these findings are consistent with the hypothesis that GI phenotypic plasticity helps to mitigate increased energetic demand and poorer quality of diets during the winter period. The P. maniculatus species group has one of the largest geographic ranges of any North American mammal (Kurta 1995) and is common throughout much of the continent, being abundant in many different types of habitats (Greenbaum et al 2019). Our plots were located in a seasonal, high-elevation part of North Carolina where temperatures regularly dropped below freezing during the winter sampling sessions, with occasional snowpack.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Seasonal and sex-specific changes in the gastrointestinal tracts of Peromyscus maniculatus

Chapman,

McLean

2023

Journal of Mammalogy

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Functional traits are phenotypic characteristics that contribute to fitness of individuals in dynamic and changing environments. In mammals, both categorical and continuous (e.g., quantitative) functional traits have been extensively utilized as proxies for diet, locomotion, and other aspects of species ecology, but there has been less focus on form and function of soft tissues. This is particularly true for the digestive system, which varies in size and complexity across Class Mammalia and plays a major role in the energetics of species. To guide more effective utilization of gastrointestinal (GI) morphology as a functional proxy in small mammal ecology, we examined how GI tracts (lengths and masses of four GI sections) varied within a population of deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus) in the Southern Appalachian Mountains of North Carolina, United States. We collected samples of adult P. maniculatus monthly for 1 year and measured GI tracts to quantify variation with respect to seasonality and trophic level, providing insight into plasticity in this soft tissue trait over time. We found that season had a significant effect on the total length and wet mass of the GI tract, with January mice having the longest GI tracts and lengths being shortest in the summer. The relative shortening of the GI tract in summer corresponded with a partial trophic increase detected by stable isotope signatures. GI length and wet mass also were affected by reproduction, but males and females responded in sex-specific ways to demands of reproduction, with reproductively active males having shorter and lighter GI tracts than nonreproductively active males. Our study provides proof-of-concept for understanding population-level plasticity in a rarely collected soft tissue trait, which may also be complementary to standard craniodental measurements as a functional dietary proxy to understand mammalian ecology and community assembly.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Seasonal and sex-specific changes in the gastrointestinal tracts of Peromyscus maniculatus

Chapman,

McLean

2023

Journal of Mammalogy

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“…Across western North America, genetic investigations are finding undescribed species diversity in mammals and identifying genetically distinct, potentially imperiled populations, as well as revising taxonomy to reflect genetic relationships (e.g., Matocq 2002 ; Patton et al 2007 ; Hope et al 2016 ; Greenbaum et al 2017 ), often with implications for conservation or management (e.g., Benedict et al 2019 ; Jackson and Cook 2020 ). As evidence accumulates that we do not understand the mammalian diversity adequately in this relatively well-studied part of the world, mammal populations are disappearing.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Lost in a sagebrush sea: comparative genetic assessment of an isolated montane population ofTamias amoenus

Bell

Gunst

Teglas

et al. 2021

Journal of Mammalogy

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The montane sky islands of the Great Basin are characterized by unique, isolated habitats and communities that likely are vulnerable to extirpation with environmental change. A subspecies of yellow pine chipmunk, the Humboldt yellow pine chipmunk (Tamias amoenus celeris), is associated with the whitebark and limber pine forests of the Pine Forest Range (PFR) in Nevada. We sampled T. amoenus and least chipmunks (T. minimus) from the isolated PFR and compared genetic diversity between these populations and more “mainland” populations, including other subspecies of chipmunks. Given the high frequency of hybridization in Tamias, we tested for hybridization between T. amoenus and T. minimus in the PFR. We examined phylogenetic relationships, population divergence and diversity, and screened populations for a common pathogen, Borrelia hermsii, to gain insight into population health. We found T. amoenus of the PFR are closely related to T. amoenus in the Warner Mountains and Sierra Nevada, but maintain substantively lower genetic variation. Microsatellite analyses show PFR T. amoenus are highly genetically differentiated from other populations. In contrast, PFR T. minimus had higher genetic diversity that was comparable to the other T. minimus population we sampled. Pathogen screening revealed that T. amoenus carried higher pathogen loads than T. minimus in the PFR, although the prevalence of infection was similar to other Tamias populations. Our assessment of habitat associations suggests that the Humboldt yellow pine chipmunk almost entirely is restricted to the conifer systems of the PFR, while least chipmunks are prevalent in the other forests. Our work highlights the need for continued conservation and research efforts to identify how response to environmental change can be facilitated in isolated species and habitats.

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Sex‐specific breeding phenologies in the North American deer mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus)

2022

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Effects of global climate change on population persistence are often mediated by life‐history traits of individuals, especially the timing of somatic growth, reproductive development, and reproduction itself. These traits can vary among age groups and between the sexes, a result of differential life‐history tactics and levels of lifetime reproductive investment. Unfortunately, the trait data necessary for revealing sex‐specific breeding behaviors and use of breeding cues over reasonably large geographic areas remain sparse for most taxa. In this study, we assembled and analyzed a new reproductive trait base for the North American deer mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus) from digitized natural history specimens and field censuses. We used the data to reconstruct sex‐specific breeding phenologies and their drivers within and among North American ecoregions. Male and female phenologies varied across the geographic range of this species, with discordance in timing and intensity being highest in regions of lower seasonality (and longer breeding seasons). Reliance on environmental variables as breeding cues also appeared to vary in a sex‐specific manner, being most similar for photoperiod and least similar for temperature (positive male response and negative female response); in addition, model validation indicated that phenological models generalized better for males than for females. Finally, our individual‐level trait data also show that male reproductive investment (quantified as relative testis size) varies across the vastly different abiotic and social (i.e., female breeding) contexts studied here. By harmonizing across a broad set of digital data resources, we demonstrate the potential to uncover drivers of phenological variation within species and inform global change predictions at multiple scales of biological organization.

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Molecular phylogenetics of western deer mice (Peromyscus): Taxonomic and biogeographic implications

Cited by 6 publications

References 25 publications

Seasonal and sex-specific changes in the gastrointestinal tracts of Peromyscus maniculatus

Seasonal and sex-specific changes in the gastrointestinal tracts of Peromyscus maniculatus

Lost in a sagebrush sea: comparative genetic assessment of an isolated montane population ofTamias amoenus

Sex‐specific breeding phenologies in the North American deer mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus)

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