Dataset Information

Genomic Approaches Reveal an Endemic Subpopulation of Gray Wolves in Southern China.

ABSTRACT: Although gray wolves (Canis lupus) are one of the most widely distributed terrestrial mammals, their origins in China are not well understood. We sequenced six specimens from wolf skins, showing that gray wolves from Southern China (SC) derive from a single lineage, distinct from gray wolves from the Tibetan Plateau and Northern China, suggesting that SC gray wolves may form a distinct subpopulation. Of SC gray wolves, one wolf from Zhejiang carries a genetic component from a canid and had gene flow from a population related to or further diverged from wolves than the dhole. This may indicate that interspecific gene flow likely played an important role in shaping the speciation patterns and population structure in the genus Canis. Our study is the first to survey museum gray wolves' genomes from Southern China, highlighting how sequencing the paleogenome from museum specimens can help us to study extinct species.

SUBMITTER: Wang GD

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6817678 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Genomic Approaches Reveal an Endemic Subpopulation of Gray Wolves in Southern China.

Wang Guo-Dong GD Zhang Ming M Wang Xuan X Yang Melinda A MA Cao Peng P Liu Feng F Lu Heng H Feng Xiaotian X Skoglund Pontus P Wang Lu L Fu Qiaomei Q Zhang Ya-Ping YP

iScience 20190910

Although gray wolves (Canis lupus) are one of the most widely distributed terrestrial mammals, their origins in China are not well understood. We sequenced six specimens from wolf skins, showing that gray wolves from Southern China (SC) derive from a single lineage, distinct from gray wolves from the Tibetan Plateau and Northern China, suggesting that SC gray wolves may form a distinct subpopulation. Of SC gray wolves, one wolf from Zhejiang carries a genetic component from a canid and had gene ...[more]

PMID: 31563851

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Project description:The recent recolonization of Central Europe by the European gray wolf (Canis lupus) provides an opportunity to study the dynamics of parasite transmission for cases when a definitive host returns after a phase of local extinction. We investigated whether a newly established wolf population increased the prevalence of those parasites in ungulate intermediate hosts representing wolf prey, whether some parasite species are particularly well adapted to wolves, and the potential basis for such adaptations. We recorded Sarcocystis species richness in wolves and Sarcocystis prevalence in ungulates harvested in study sites with and without permanent wolf presence in Germany using microscopy and DNA metabarcoding. Sarcocystis prevalence in red deer (Cervus elaphus) was significantly higher in wolf areas (79.7%) than in control areas (26.3%) but not in roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) (97.2% vs. 90.4%) or wild boar (Sus scrofa) (82.8% vs. 64.9%). Of 11 Sarcocystis species, Sarcocystis taeniata and Sarcocystis grueneri occurred more often in wolves than expected from the Sarcocystis infection patterns of ungulate prey. Both Sarcocystis species showed a higher increase in prevalence in ungulates in wolf areas than other Sarcocystis species, suggesting that they are particularly well adapted to wolves, and are examples of "wolf specialists". Sarcocystis species richness in wolves was significantly higher in pups than in adults. "Wolf specialists" persisted during wolf maturation. The results of this study demonstrate that (1) predator-prey interactions influence parasite prevalence, if both predator and prey are part of the parasite life cycle, (2) mesopredators do not necessarily replace the apex predator in parasite transmission dynamics for particular parasites of which the apex predator is the definitive host, even if meso- and apex predators were from the same taxonomic family (here: Canidae, e.g., red foxes Vulpes vulpes), and (3) age-dependent immune maturation contributes to the control of protozoan infection in wolves.

Dataset Information

Genomic Approaches Reveal an Endemic Subpopulation of Gray Wolves in Southern China.

Publications

Genomic Approaches Reveal an Endemic Subpopulation of Gray Wolves in Southern China.

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