Genetic connectivity among swarming sites in the wide ranging and recently declining little brown bat (Myotis lucifugus)

Publisher's Version/PDFCharacterizing movement dynamics and spatial aspects of gene flow within a species permits inference on population structuring. As patterns of structuring are products of historical and current demographics and gene flow, assessment of structure through time can yield an understanding of evolutionary dynamics acting on populations that are necessary to inform management. Recent dramatic population declines in hibernating bats in eastern North America from white-nose syndrome have prompted the need for information on movement dynamics for multiple bat species. We characterized population genetic structure of the little brown bat, Myotis lucifugus, at swarming sites in southeastern Canada using 9 nuclear microsatellites and a 292-bp region of the mitochondrial genome. Analyses of FST, &Phi;ST, and Bayesian clustering (STRUCTURE) found weak levels of genetic structure among swarming sites for the nuclear and mitochondrial genome (Global FST = 0.001, P &lt; 0.05, Global &Phi;ST = 0.045, P &lt; 0.01, STRUCTURE K = 1) suggesting high contemporary gene flow. Hierarchical AMOVA also suggests little structuring at a regional (provincial) level. Metrics of nuclear genetic structure were not found to differ between males and females suggesting weak asymmetries in gene flow between the sexes. However, a greater degree of mitochondrial structuring does support male-biased dispersal long term. Demographic analyses were consistent with past population growth and suggest a population expansion occurred from approximately 1250 to 12,500 BP, following Pleistocene deglaciation in the region. Our study suggests high gene flow and thus a high degree of connectivity among bats that visit swarming sites whereby mainland areas of the region may be best considered as one large gene pool for management and conservation.</p

First records of Lasiurus cinereus and L. borealis (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae) on Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, Canada

Publisher's Version/PDFIn August 2012, a Lasiurus cinereus (Hoary Bat) and 2 Lasiurus borealis (Eastern Red Bat) were netted near Donkin, Cape Breton Island, NS, Canada. Acoustic studies showed the presence of Hoary Bats on at least 3 nights and Eastern Red Bats on at least 16 nights, over a 32-night-long survey starting on 21 August 2012. These records are the first for both species on Cape Breton Island, and significantly extend the known distribution of Eastern Red Bats.</p

Population Genetic Structure Within and among Seasonal Site Types in the Little Brown Bat (Myotis lucifugus) and the Northern Long-Eared Bat (M. septentrionalis)

Publisher's version/PDFDuring late summer and early autumn, temperate bats migrate from their summering sites to swarming sites, where mating likely occurs. However, the extent to which individuals of a single summering site migrate to the same swarming site, and vice versa, is not known. We examined the migratory connectivity between summering and swarming sites in two temperate, North American, bat species, the little brown bat (Myotis lucifugus) and the northern long-eared bat (Myotis septentrionalis). Using mitochondrial and microsatellite DNA markers, we examined population structuring within and among summering and swarming sites. Both species exhibited moderate degrees of mitochondrial DNA differentiation (little brown bat: F[subscript ST(SWARMING)] = 0.093, F[subscript ST(SWARMING)] = 0.052; northern long-eared bat: F[subscript ST(SWARMING)] = 0.117, F[subscript ST(SWARMING)] = 0.043) and little microsatellite DNA differentiation among summering and among swarming sites. Haplotype diversity was significantly higher at swarming sites than summering sites, supporting the idea that swarming sites are comprised of individuals from various summering sites. Further, pairwise analyses suggest that swarming sites are not necessarily comprised of only individuals from the most proximal summering colonies.Funding for this work was provided by The Canadian Wildlife Federation, Nova Scotia Power, Eon Wind Electric, Shear Wind Inc., The New Brunswick Museum, New Brunswick Wildlife Trust Fund, Bat Conservation International, and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (Discovery Grant 283217-2010; CRDG 418936-11) Canadian Wildlife Federation: http://www.cwf-fcf.org/en/. Nova Scotia Power: https://www.nspower.ca/en/home/default.aspx. Eon Wind Electric: http://www.eonwind.com. Shear Wind Inc.: http://www.shearwind.com. The New Brunswick Museum: http://www.nbm-mnb.ca. New Brunswick Wildlife Trust Fund: http://www.nbwtf.ca/eindex.asp. Bat Conservation International: http://www.batcon.org. Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (Discovery Grant 283217-2010; CRDG 418936-11): http://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/index_eng.asp. Note: each industrial funder has agreed to the publishing of this paper

Comparison of social interaction and neural activation in the main olfactory bulb and the accessory olfactory bulb between Microtus mandarinus and Microtus fortis.

Publisher's version/PDFTo gain insight into the function of AOB and MOB during different social interaction and in different vole species, the behaviors and neural activation of the olfactory bulbs in social interactions of mandarin voles Microtus mandarinus and reed voles Microtus fortis were compared in the present research. Mandarin voles spent significantly more time attacking and sniffing its opponent and sniffing sawdust than reed voles. During same sex encounters, mandarin voles attacked its opponent for a significantly longer time and sniffed its opponent for shorter time compared with male-female interactions. However, no significant behavioral differences were found during encounters of two individual reed voles, regardless of gender composition of the pair. Using c-Fos as an indicator of neural activation, we observed that neural activation was significantly higher in almost all sub-regions of the main olfactory bulb (MOB) and the accessory olfactory bulb (AOB) of mandarin voles compared with reed voles. Numbers of c-Fos-ir neurons in almost all sub-regions of the AOB and the MOB during male-female interactions were also higher than those in interactions of the same sex. Anterior-posterior ratios of Fos-ir neurons in the AOBM (AOBMR) and the AOBG (AOBGR) in male-female interaction were significantly higher than those in interaction of the same sex. The AOBMR of male mandarin voles and reed voles were larger than those of females in male-female interactions. Behavioral patterns are consistent with cellular activity patterns. Consistent level of neural activation in MOB and AOB suggests important roles of both the main olfactory bulb and the accessory olfactory bulb in social interaction in two species