Myotis genotypes

Individual genotypes from 210 samples arising from 165 individuals of a maternity roost located in Le Bourg d'Oisans (French Alps), hosting Myotis myotis and Myotis blythii individuals. Num = sample identifier, ID = individual identifier, Sampling = Sampling date, Type = bat type (Myotis myotis, Myotis blythii or hybrid), Sex = F: females and M: males, D15 to H23.M = fragment length for each microsatellite locus at each allele (2 alleles by column), NA = missing data

Data from: Investigating hybridization between the two sibling bat species Myotis myotis and M. blythii from guano in a natural mixed maternity colony

Because they can form seasonal mixed-species groups during mating and maternal care, bats are exciting models for studying interspecific hybridization. Myotis myotis and M. blythii are genetically close and morphologically almost identical, but they differ in some aspects of their ecology and life-history traits. When they occur in sympatry, they often form large mixed maternity colonies, in which their relative abundance can vary across time due to a shift in the timing of parturition. For the first time, we used non-invasive genetic methods to assess the hybridization rate and colony composition in a maternity colony of M. myotis and M. blythii located in the French Alps. Bat guano was collected on five sampling dates spread across the roost occupancy period and was analysed for individual genotype. We investigated whether the presence of hybrids followed the pattern of one of the parental species or if it was intermediate. We identified 140 M. myotis, 12 M. blythii and 13 hybrids among 250 samples. Parental species appeared as genetically well-differentiated clusters, with an asymmetrical introgression towards M. blythii. By studying colony parameters (effective size, sex ratio and proportion of the three bat types) across the sampling dates, we found that the abundances of hybrid and M. blythii individuals were positively correlated. Our study provides a promising non-invasive method to study hybridization in bats and raises questions about the taxonomic status of the two Myotis species. We discuss the contribution of this study to the knowledge of hybrid ecology, and we make recommendations for possible future research to better understand the ecology and behaviour of hybrid individuals

Investigating Hybridization between the Two Sibling Bat Species Myotis myotis and M. blythii from Guano in a Natural Mixed Maternity Colony.

International audienceBecause they can form seasonal mixed-species groups during mating and maternal care, bats are exciting models for studying interspecific hybridization. Myotis myotis and M. blythii are genetically close and morphologically almost identical, but they differ in some aspects of their ecology and life-history traits. When they occur in sympatry, they often form large mixed maternity colonies, in which their relative abundance can vary across time due to a shift in the timing of parturition. For the first time, we used non-invasive genetic methods to assess the hybridization rate and colony composition in a maternity colony of M. myotis and M. blythii located in the French Alps. Bat guano was collected on five sampling dates spread across the roost occupancy period and was analysed for individual genotype. We investigated whether the presence of hybrids followed the pattern of one of the parental species or if it was intermediate. We identified 140 M. myotis, 12 M. blythii and 13 hybrids among 250 samples. Parental species appeared as genetically well-differentiated clusters, with an asymmetrical introgression towards M. blythii. By studying colony parameters (effective size, sex ratio and proportion of the three bat types) across the sampling dates, we found that the abundances of hybrid and M. blythii individuals were positively correlated. Our study provides a promising non-invasive method to study hybridization in bats and raises questions about the taxonomic status of the two Myotis species. We discuss the contribution of this study to the knowledge of hybrid ecology, and we make recommendations for possible future research to better understand the ecology and behaviour of hybrid individuals

Allelic richness (Ar) and observed (H_O) and expected (H_E) heterozygosities measured at 11 microsatellite loci genotyped in a mixed maternity colony of <i>M</i>. <i>myotis</i> and <i>M</i>. <i>blythii</i>.

<p>Allelic richness (Ar) and observed (H_O) and expected (H_E) heterozygosities measured at 11 microsatellite loci genotyped in a mixed maternity colony of <i>M</i>. <i>myotis</i> and <i>M</i>. <i>blythii</i>.</p

Number of bats sampled on each sampling date and the repartition of <i>M</i>. <i>myotis</i>, <i>M</i>. <i>blythii</i> and hybrid individuals.

<p>The numbers on each bar represent the proportion (%) of each bat type for a given sampling date.</p

Sample characteristics on each sampling date.

<p>Sample characteristics on each sampling date.</p

The 12 microsatellite markers used in the present study.

<p>The 12 microsatellite markers used in the present study.</p

Creating small food-habituated groups might alter genetic diversity in the endangered Yunnan snub-nosed monkey

International audienceEcotourism is increasing worldwide for financial, educational and social purposes. Organized viewing of wildlife, especially at feeding sites where wildlife is “ready-to-view”, increases the opportunities for tourists to observe animals in the wild. However, feeding sites might retain only a subsample of wild populations. We thus hypothesized that such human intervention could induce population subdivisions and alter random mating by artificially creating small groups. The endangered Yunnan snub-nosed monkey (Rhinopithecus bieti) is an emblematic example reflecting the contradictions between conservation and ecotourism. In Gehuaqing/Xiangguqing (Yunnan, China), some individuals are maintained at feeding sites, while the rest of the monkey subpopulation wanders in a large surrounding area. Using faecal sampling and molecular analyses, we showed that this subpopulation is genetically structured into two moderately differentiated subgroups. The fed subgroup exhibited lower genetic diversity and higher relatedness than the rest of the subpopulation. Simulation model results indicated that a single translocation probably would not restore genetic diversity in fed individuals. Thus, feeding sites implementation and associated management practices might rapidly induce founder effects. We discuss the possibilities of conciliating ecotourism and the conservation of endangered animal species from this viewpoint

Spatio-temporal trends in richness and persistence of bacterial communities in decline-phase water vole populations

This article is dedicated to the memory of Jean-François Cosson, recently deceased.International audienceUnderstanding the driving forces that control vole population dynamics requires identifying bacterial parasites hosted by the voles and describing their dynamics at the community level. To this end, we used high-throughput DNA sequencing to identify bacterial parasites in cyclic populations of montane water voles that exhibited a population outbreak and decline in 2014–2018. An unexpectedly large number of 155 Operational Taxonomic Units (OTUs) representing at least 13 genera in 11 families was detected. Individual bacterial richness was higher during declines, and vole body condition was lower. Richness as estimated by Chao2 at the local population scale did not exhibit clear seasonal or cycle phase-related patterns, but at the vole meta-population scale, exhibited seasonal and phase-related patterns. Moreover, bacterial OTUs that were detected in the low density phase were geographically widespread and detected earlier in the outbreak; some were associated with each other. Our results demonstrate the complexity of bacterial community patterns with regard to host density variations, and indicate that investigations about how parasites interact with host populations must be conducted at several temporal and spatial scales: multiple times per year over multiple years, and at both local and long-distance dispersal scales for the host(s) under consideration