Abstract
Background: Danish populations of the little owl (Athene noctua) have experienced dramaticdeclines in size over the past century. Before 1960 the little owl population was abundantin Denmark (estimated N>2000), but between 1960 and 1980 the population declinedrapidly, and since 1980 the little owl population has survived only in small and fragmentedareas.
Question: Is the decline in population size associated with reduced genetic variation in theseDanish populations of the little owl? Are the populations genetically fragmented?Field site: Samples were collected from birds in Denmark (from 57457″N to 543335″N).
Methods: We extracted DNA from the feathers of museum specimens of Danish little owlscollected between 1918 and 1980. We also extracted DNA from feathers collected between 1984and2010.We performed a genetic analysis of 15 microsatellites on these samples.
Conclusions: Older samples showed relatively little genetic variability, with more recent onesshowing even less. In addition, pairwise FST values showed evidence for genetic substructuringwith small but significant genetic differences between the extant population and the extinct owlpopulations on the Danish isle of Funen. The modest loss of genetic variability observed sincethe 1960s and 1970s may be associated with a diminished distributional range and populationbottlenecks
Question: Is the decline in population size associated with reduced genetic variation in theseDanish populations of the little owl? Are the populations genetically fragmented?Field site: Samples were collected from birds in Denmark (from 57457″N to 543335″N).
Methods: We extracted DNA from the feathers of museum specimens of Danish little owlscollected between 1918 and 1980. We also extracted DNA from feathers collected between 1984and2010.We performed a genetic analysis of 15 microsatellites on these samples.
Conclusions: Older samples showed relatively little genetic variability, with more recent onesshowing even less. In addition, pairwise FST values showed evidence for genetic substructuringwith small but significant genetic differences between the extant population and the extinct owlpopulations on the Danish isle of Funen. The modest loss of genetic variability observed sincethe 1960s and 1970s may be associated with a diminished distributional range and populationbottlenecks
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Journal | Evolutionary Ecology Research |
| Volume | 14 |
| Issue | 7 |
| Pages (from-to) | 921-932 |
| Number of pages | 11 |
| ISSN | 1522-0613 |
| Publication status | Published - 2012 |
Keywords
- Conservation
- Microsatellites
- Old DNA
- Population bottlenecks
- Temporal and spatial variation