INVESTIGADORES
LAMBERTUCCI Sergio Agustin
artículos
Título:
Evidence of genetic structure in a wide-ranging and highly mobile soaring scavenger, the Andean condor
Autor/es:
PADRÓ, J; LAMBERTUCCI, S A; PERRIG, P; PAULI, J
Revista:
DIVERSITY AND DISTRIBUTIONS
Editorial:
WILEY-BLACKWELL PUBLISHING, INC
Referencias:
Lugar: Londres; Año: 2018
ISSN:
1366-9516
Resumen:
Aim Evaluating thepatterns of genetic variation and population connectivity is fundamental toeffectively designing and implementing conservation strategies for threatenedspecies. However, connectivity patterns in highly mobile vertebrates, and especiallyin avian species, is often overlooked as it is generally assumed to be drivenby demographic panmixia or isolation by distance. Herein, we investigated thegenetic structure and patterns of connectivity across four biomes in a highly vagilebird, the Andean Condor (Vulturgryphus).  Location Four majorNeotropical biomes of Argentina (> 300,000 km2): Puna, Monte,Chaco and Patagonia. Methods We genotyped 13polymorphic microsatellite loci plus one sex-determining gene in 300 moltedfeathers from 13 roosting sites in the core of species distributional range. Wequantified levels of genetic differentiation, population structure, effectivegene flow, genetic diversity and assessed sex-biased dispersal events.  Results We detectedgenetic structure with a moderate differentiation between the north (Puna andChaco) and south (Patagonia) regions with a contact zone in the central area(Monte). We observed a spatial pattern of genetic patches with higher levels ofgene flow along the Andes range. Although we found no indication of bottlenecks or inbreeding, weobserved larger effective population sizes in the south compared to thenorthern region.  Main conclusions Our studyrevealed that despite the high dispersal potential ofcondors, demographic panmixia is not consolidated, even in the core of thisspecies range. Our analyses further suggest that gene flow rate is modulated bytopographic features, as condors may disperse more following the naturalupdrafts and lifts along the Andean mountains. Conservation initiatives shouldprioritize the protection of the Andean corridor to maintain connectivitybetween the apparent source from Patagonia to the northern biomes.