The genetic network of greater sage-grouse: Range-wide identification of keystone hubs of connectivity.

ABSTRACT: Genetic networks can characterize complex genetic relationships among groups of individuals, which can be used to rank nodes most important to the overall connectivity of the system. Ranking allows scarce resources to be guided toward nodes integral to connectivity. The greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) is a species of conservation concern that breeds on spatially discrete leks that must remain connected by genetic exchange for population persistence. We genotyped 5,950 individuals from 1,200 greater sage-grouse leks distributed across the entire species' geographic range. We found a small-world network composed of 458 nodes connected by 14,481 edges. This network was composed of hubs-that is, nodes facilitating gene flow across the network-and spokes-that is, nodes wh

SUBMITTER: Cross TB 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6010832 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature