Patterns of reproduction and autozygosity distinguish the breeding from nonbreeding gray wolves of Yellowstone National Park.

ABSTRACT: For species of management concern, accurate estimates of inbreeding and associated consequences on reproduction are crucial for predicting their future viability. However, few studies have partitioned this aspect of genetic viability with respect to reproduction in a group-living social mammal. We investigated the contributions of foundation stock lineages, putative fitness consequences of inbreeding, and genetic diversity of the breeding versus nonreproductive segment of the Yellowstone National Park gray wolf population. Our dataset spans 25 years and seven generations since reintroduction, encompassing 152 nuclear families and 329 litters. We found more than 87% of the pedigree foundation genomes persisted and report influxes of allelic diversity from two translocated wolves from a dive

SUBMITTER: vonHoldt BM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11235126 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature