Evaluating wildlife translocations using genomics: A bighorn sheep case study.

ABSTRACT: Wildlife restoration often involves translocation efforts to reintroduce species and supplement small, fragmented populations. We examined the genomic consequences of bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) translocations and population isolation to enhance understanding of evolutionary processes that affect population genetics and inform future restoration strategies. We conducted a population genomic analysis of 511 bighorn sheep from 17 areas, including native and reintroduced populations that received 0-10 translocations. Using the Illumina High Density Ovine array, we generated datasets of 6,155 to 33,289 single nucleotide polymorphisms and completed clustering, population tree, and kinship analyses. Our analyses determined that natural gene flow did not occur between most populations,

SUBMITTER: Flesch EP 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7771163 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature