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Weak Population Genetic Structure of the Eurasian Crane Grus grus L.

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Abstract

The paper presents an extended (in comparison with previous studies) analysis of the population genetic structure of a migratory wide-range species with high abundance, the Eurasian crane, Grus grus L. Using seven highly polymorphic microsatellite loci, high and very similar values of genetic diversity parameters were obtained in samples of the western (G. g. grus) and eastern (G. g. lilfordi) subspecies. Coefficients of genetic differentiation between these subspecies (FST = 0.008, GST = 0.002) were also found to be low. According to AMOVA, 99% of genetic variation of G. grus is attributed to individual levels. Using the Bayesian clustering algorithm implemented in the STRUCTURE software, no clear population genetic structuring of the species was revealed. At the same time, visualization of spatial patternts of genetic variability in the Geneland software showed the presence of a cluster of “pure” subspecies of G. g. grus and G. g. lilfordi, surrounding a cluster of individuals from the zone of intergradation of these subspecies. This result, along with the observed very low F-statistics values, may indicate subtle genetic differences between the cranes from the studied area, possibly having a mutational nature. Lower allelic richness and lack of private alleles in the eastern subspecies G. g. lilfordi suggests its relative evolutionary youth and recent origin from the eastern marginal populations of the nominative western subspecies.

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The authors thank I.P. Aryulina, O.S. Grinchenko, M.V. Korepov, T.V. Sviridova, T.V. Selezneva, G.V. Nosachenko, employees of the Kirzinsky Federal Nature Reserve (Novosibirsk oblast) for the help in collecting biological material, as well as the Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Science, Hebrew University of Jerusalem (Israel), the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior (Germany), Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and the University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (China) for providing GPS-GSM transmitters, thanks to which the breeding sites of tagged Eurasian cranes were identified.

Funding

The study was supported by the Russian Science Foundation (grant no. 23-24-00613, https://rscf.ru/project/23-24-00613/).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Vavilov Institute of General Genetics, Russian Academy of Sciences, 119991, Moscow, Russia

    E. A. Mudrik, K. D. Kondrakova, A. V. Shatokhina, P. A. Kazimirov, E. I. Ilyashenko & D. V. Politov

  2. Oka State Nature Biosphere Reserve, 391072, Brykin Bor, Russia

    Yu. M. Markin, K. A. Postelnykh & T. A. Kashentseva

  3. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Sciences, 119011, Moscow, Russia

    K. D. Kondrakova, V. Yu. Ilyashenko & E. I. Ilyashenko

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  1. E. A. Mudrik
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Correspondence to E. A. Mudrik.

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ETHICS APPROVAL AND CONSENT TO PARTICIPATE

All applicable international, national, and/or institutional guidelines for the care and use of animals were followed.

The birds were caught under the permits from regional authorities of the Federal Service for Supervision of Natural Resources.

The study was approved by the Bioethics Committee at the Vavilov Institute of General Genetics Russian Academy of Sciences (protocol no. 1 of May 18, 2023).

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The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

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Translated by N. Maleeva

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Mudrik, E.A., Markin, Y.M., Postelnykh, K.A. et al. Weak Population Genetic Structure of the Eurasian Crane Grus grus L.. Russ J Genet 59, 1333–1344 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1134/S1022795423120062

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