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Sea ice occurrence predicts genetic isolation in the Arctic fox
Author(s) -
GEFFEN ELI,
WAIDYARATNE SITARA,
DALÉN LOVE,
ANGERBJÖRN ANDERS,
VILA CARLES,
HERSTEINSSON PALL,
FUGLEI EVA,
WHITE PAULA A.,
GOLTSMAN MICHAEL,
KAPEL CHRISTIAN M. O.,
WAYNE ROBERT K.
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
molecular ecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.619
H-Index - 225
eISSN - 1365-294X
pISSN - 0962-1083
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-294x.2007.03507.x
Subject(s) - arctic , lagopus , circumpolar star , biological dispersal , sea ice , arctic fox , biology , arctic ice pack , arctic ecology , ecology , beringia , isolation by distance , oceanography , genetic structure , population , genetic variation , geology , demography , sociology , biochemistry , gene
Unlike Oceanic islands, the islands of the Arctic Sea are not completely isolated from migration by terrestrial vertebrates. The pack ice connects many Arctic Sea islands to the mainland during winter months. The Arctic fox ( Alopex lagopus ), which has a circumpolar distribution, populates numerous islands in the Arctic Sea. In this study, we used genetic data from 20 different populations, spanning the entire distribution of the Arctic fox, to identify barriers to dispersal. Specifically, we considered geographical distance, occurrence of sea ice, winter temperature, ecotype, and the presence of red fox and polar bear as nonexclusive factors that influence the dispersal behaviour of individuals. Using distance‐based redundancy analysis and the BIOENV procedure, we showed that occurrence of sea ice is the key predictor and explained 40–60% of the genetic distance among populations. In addition, our analysis identified the Commander and Pribilof Islands Arctic populations as genetically unique suggesting they deserve special attention from a conservation perspective.