Graduate Student: Devin Millions.
Devin is currently empolyed at Applied Biosystems.
See the publication page for PDF versions of these papers.
We investigated population structure and genetic diversity for bobcats (Lynx rufus) in Michigan, USA, which are distributed throughout
the upper peninsula (UP) and the northern half of the lower peninsula (LP) of Michigan. Specifically, we assessed the influence of natural
and artificial barriers to dispersal on the genetic population structure of the bobcat across Michigan, as well as in each peninsula. We used
5 microsatellite markers and the statistical package STRUCTURE to identify populations and assign individuals to their population of origin.
STRUCTURE identified one population in each peninsula, indicating that the UP and LP are genetically isolated by the Straits of Mackinac which
divide the UP and LP. Despite a greater density of roads in the LP, we found no evidence that they have led to intrapeninsular population structure.
Our results suggest that, from a genetic standpoint, management agencies do not need to be concerned about the fragmenting effects of roads when
producing management plans for bobcat
The illegal harvest of natural resources (i.e., poaching) has the potential to threaten the persistence of many plant and animal species.
In Michigan bobcats ( Lynx rufus) are distributed throughout the Upper Peninsula (UP) and the northern half of the Lower Peninsula (LP)
and are a biologically and economically important species. The popularity of bobcat hunting and trapping in Michigan, along with different
harvest regulations between the 2 peninsulas, has created the need for a reliable method of identifying incidences of poaching. Because the
bag limit is higher in the UP, we hypothesized that some bobcats harvested in the LP are being registered as originating from the UP. We used
8 polymorphic microsatellite markers and the statistical package STRUCTURE to assign individuals to the population in which they had the highest
likelihood of occurrence based on their genotype. We evaluated the influence of using posterior probability threshold values from T . 0.9 - 0.999
on the number of animals classified as poached. Based on this range, STRUCTURE produced correct assignment rates of 53 - 82%. All instances of
genetic re-assignment involved bobcats claimed as harvested in the UP but genetically assigned to the LP following the suspected method of bobcat
poaching in Michigan. This approach provides a reliable method of determining the source population for bobcats harvested in the state and should
provide enforcement agencies with a useful way of identifying potential poaching cases.
Funding provided by Sigma Xi and Central Michigan University Graduate College
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