White, K. S. | Search bioRxiv

bioRxiv2018

Extensive field-sampling reveals the uniqueness of a trophy mountain goat population

Collaborations between academic researchers and agencies is crucial for genetic data to have a tangible impact on conservation and wildlife management. Such partnerships are particularly important elusive species where the difficult terrain requires that a significant amount of resources and a combination of methods be used to estimate population parameters needed for conservation. We report and multi-year academic-agency collaboration on the North American mountain goat that used an extensive field sampling of genetic and phenotypic data to determine whether, and to what degree, genetic and phenotypic differences separate an isolated population of mountain goats on the Cleveland Peninsula form those in southeast Alaska. We observed significantly larger horns on the peninsula and the population appears demographically isolated. Isolation-by-distance accompanied by limited migration and low effective population size on the Cleveland Peninsula suggest this population will continue to lose genetic diversity. While the large horns of mountain goats have generated interest in re-opening mountain goat harvest on Cleveland Peninsula, our genetic data suggest this population is vulnerable to demographic and environmental perturbations and is unlikely to support a sustained harvest.

genetics↗

bioRxiv2018

Space, time, and captivity: quantifying factors influencing the microbiome of an alpine ungulate

The community of microorganisms in the gut is affected by host species, diet, and environment and is linked to normal functioning of the host organism. Although the microbiome fluctuates in response to host demands and environmental changes, there are core groups of microorganisms that remain relatively constant throughout the hosts lifetime. Ruminants are mammals that rely on highly specialized digestive and metabolic modifications, including microbiome adaptations, to persist in extreme environments. Here, we assayed the fecal microbiome of four mountain goat (Oreamnos americanus) populations in western North America. We quantified fecal microbiome diversity and composition among groups in the wild and captivity, across populations, and in a single group over time. There were no differences in community evenness or diversity across groups, although we observed a decreasing diversity trend across summer months. Pairwise sample estimates grouped the captive population distinctly from the wild populations, and moderately grouped the southern wild group distinctly from the two northern wild populations. We identified 33 genera modified by captivity, with major differences in key groups associated with cellulose degradation that likely reflect differences in diet. Our findings are consistent with other ruminant studies and provide baseline microbiome data in this enigmatic species, offering valuable insights into the health of wild alpine ungulates.\n\nO_FIG O_LINKSMALLFIG WIDTH=200 HEIGHT=184 SRC=\"FIGDIR/small/475459v3_ufig1.gif\" ALT=\"Figure 1\">\nView larger version (8K):\norg.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@1d5256eorg.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@8c973forg.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@1db5b0org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@835191_HPS_FORMAT_FIGEXP M_FIG C_FIG SummaryThis study characterizes the microbiome of mountain goat (Oreamnos americanus) populations across populations and over summer months; we also quantified the effects of captivity to offer more insights into the health of alpine wildlife.

microbiology↗