Genetic structure and connectivity of Rattus norvegicus between farms in Buenos Aires province, Argentina

VIDELA IM; LOVERA R.; HASSON E.; CONFALONIERI VA; CAVIA R

Virtual

Congreso; 100th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Mammalogists; 2021

ASM

Rattus norvegicus is an important farm pest In rural landscapes. However, its dispersal ability to across this and other landscapes is little known. Dispersion capacity was inferred using a RAD-seq of samples of 93 individuals captured in 16 farms in a 561736 ha rural landscape of central Argentina. A matrix of 484 SNPs (Single Nucleotide Polimorphisms) was obtained and used for population and individual-basedgenetic analyses. High levels of gene flow were observed without a clear structuring in farm clusters but with a pattern of isolation by distance along an urbanization gradient. This information will be useful for the design of prevention and control programs of this pest. These findings will also help us to understand why is this species difficult to control in farms when actions are conducted individually by each farmer.