title: Homogenous Population Genetic Structure of the Non-Native Raccoon Dog (Nyctereutes procyonoides) in Europe as a Result of Rapid Population Expansion.
abstract: The extent of gene flow during the range expansion of non-native species influences the amount of genetic diversity retained in expanding populations. Here, we analyse the population genetic structure of the raccoon dog (Nyctereutes procyonoides) in north-eastern and central Europe. This invasive species is of management concern because it is highly susceptible to fox rabies and an important secondary host of the virus. We hypothesized that the large number of introduced animals and the species' dispersal capabilities led to high population connectivity and maintenance of genetic diversity throughout the invaded range. We genotyped 332 tissue samples from seven European countries using 16 microsatellite loci. Different algorithms identified three genetic clusters corresponding to Finland, Denmark and a large 'central' population that reached from introduction areas in western Russia to northern Germany. Cluster assignments provided evidence of long-distance dispersal. The results of an Approximate Bayesian Computation analysis supported a scenario of equal effective population sizes among different pre-defined populations in the large central cluster. Our results are in line with strong gene flow and secondary admixture between neighbouring demes leading to reduced genetic structuring, probably a result of its fairly rapid population expansion after introduction. The results presented here are remarkable in the sense that we identified a homogenous genetic cluster inhabiting an area stretching over more than 1500km. They are also relevant for disease management, as in the event of a significant rabies outbreak, there is a great risk of a rapid virus spread among raccoon dog populations.
authors.affiliation: Musée National d'Histoire Naturelle, Luxembourg.
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Drygala
authors.affiliation: Velikie Luki State Agricultural Academy, Velikie Luki, Russia.
authors.forename: Nikolay
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Korablev
authors.affiliation: Senckenberg Museum für Naturkunde Görlitz, Görlitz, Germany.
authors.forename: Hermann
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ansorge
authors.affiliation: Leibniz-Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW), Berlin, Germany.|Potsdam University, Institute for Biochemistry and Biology, Potsdam, Germany.
authors.forename: Joerns
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fickel
authors.affiliation: Finnish Food Safety Authority, Production animal and wildlife research unit, Oulu, Finland.
authors.forename: Marja
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Isomursu
authors.affiliation: Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Rønde, Denmark.
authors.forename: Morten
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Elmeros
authors.affiliation: Mammal Research Institute, Polish Academy of Sciences, Białowieża, Poland.
authors.forename: Rafał
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kowalczyk
authors.affiliation: Nature Research Centre, Institute of Ecology, Vilnius, Lithuania.
authors.forename: Laima
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Baltrunaite
authors.affiliation: Nature Research Centre, Institute of Ecology, Vilnius, Lithuania.
authors.forename: Linas
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Balciauskas
authors.affiliation: University of Tartu, Department of Zoology, Tartu, Estonia.
authors.forename: Urmas
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Saarma
authors.affiliation: Landeslabor Berlin-Brandenburg, Frankfurt (Oder), Germany.
authors.forename: Christoph
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Schulze
authors.affiliation: Faunistisch-Ökologischen Arbeitsgemeinschaft S-H, Kiel University, Kiel, Germany.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Borkenhagen
authors.affiliation: Musée National d'Histoire Naturelle, Luxembourg.
authors.forename: Alain C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Frantz
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001499:Bayes Theorem; D004285:Dogs; D005060:Europe; D051456:Gene Flow; D014644:Genetic Variation; D005828:Genetics, Population; D005838:Genotype; D018895:Microsatellite Repeats; D008954:Models, Biological; D046031:Raccoon Dogs / Q000235:genetics*