University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Conservation management in the age of genomics: Assessing translocation success and signatures of selection in a conservation icon, the greater prairie-chicken

Capel, Samantha L. R.

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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/116079

Description

Title
Conservation management in the age of genomics: Assessing translocation success and signatures of selection in a conservation icon, the greater prairie-chicken
Author(s)
Capel, Samantha L. R.
Issue Date
2022-07-12
Director of Research (if dissertation) or Advisor (if thesis)
Paige, Ken N
Doctoral Committee Chair(s)
Paige, Ken N
Committee Member(s)
  • Catchen, Julian M
  • Roca, Alfred L
  • Schelsky, Wendy M
  • Bouzat, Juan L
Department of Study
Evolution Ecology Behavior
Discipline
Biology
Degree Granting Institution
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Degree Name
Ph.D.
Degree Level
Dissertation
Keyword(s)
  • Conservation
  • Population genomics
  • Translocations
  • Genetic restoration
  • RADseq
  • Greater prairie-chicken
Abstract
In the face of growing anthropogenic threats to biodiversity, species translocations have become a common strategy to rescue populations from extirpation through restoring population densities and genetic diversity. While successful examples of genetic rescue of endangered populations have received a great deal of attention, many translocations have shown equivocal results. In my dissertation, I employ a conservation icon, the greater prairie-chicken, to explore the genomic consequences of species translocations. By performing RADseq on translocation source and recipient populations, I explore the genomic consequences of translocations and investigate signatures of contemporary evolution. My findings indicate that translocations resulted in successful introgression of source population variation, significantly increasing genome-wide diversity in the previously genetically depauperate Illinois population. Analyses of private alleles among source and recipient populations revealed maintenance of local variation in conjunction with introduction of unique variation from each source population. Further, source and recipient populations exhibit significant signatures of selective differentiation indicative of local adaptation. Investigations of regions exhibiting adaptive differentiation in Illinois reveal heterogeneity in the effects of translocations, including preservation of locally adapted alleles, introgression by individual source populations, and admixture among source and recipient variation. Sampling over a period of approximately 15 generations within two source populations revealed evidence of rapid, contemporary evolution in genes of adaptive significance. Results from my investigations demonstrate the necessity for analyses of genome-wide and adaptively significant genetic variation to comprehensively evaluate translocation success, improve management efficacy, and inform future conservation strategies.
Graduation Semester
2022-08
Type of Resource
Thesis
Copyright and License Information
Copyright 2022 Samantha L. R. Capel

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