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Conservation Genetics

Taylor EdwardsUniversity of Arizona

Human Origins Genotyping Laboratory

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Conservation BiologyThe goal is to provide principles and tools for preserving biodiversityConservation Biology is an Ethics driven scienceEmphasis is placed on the intrinsic value of species, biodiversity, and communitiesIt is necessarily multidisciplinary

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BiodiversityThe structural and functional variety of life forms at genetic, population, community, and ecosystem levels. (Sandlund et al. 1992)

Nucleus

Chromosome

DNA

Nucleotide

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Mitochondrial DNA Sequence Data

Microsatellites (DNA fingerprinting)

Themes addressed by Conservation Geneticists

Taxonomy / phylogeneticsIdentifying species and populations

Assessment of diversityCaptive Breeding / ReintroductionVoucheringIdentifying bottlenecksForensics

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Do Sonoran Desert tortoises cross valley floors?

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Thelma's mad dashA radio-tagged desert tortoise takes off on a wild trek that leaves her trackers stunned.Tucson Citizen, May 12, 2003Thelma didn't exactly run away from home. For one thing, she's hardly a child - one estimate puts her age at about 30. For another, her pace was far from sizzling. After all, desert tortoises aren't known for their speed. But what she lacked in tempo, she made up for in determination. Thelma - her name was inspired by the wanderings of the famous movie duo Thelma and Louise - left Saguaro National Park's east unit in the fall of 2000, not long after being outfitted with a radio transmitter to track her movements….

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Gen

etic

Dis

tanc

e (F

st)

Geographic Distance (km)(Mantel test; r = 0.554, p = 0.030)

Isolation by Distance

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Absolute number of migrants exchanged per generation between populations

Method:Slatkin’s M = 2.9 (minimum)Private allele method = 5.5

Gene flow occurred historically at a rate greater than one migrant per generation

The genetic evidence suggests that Sonoran Desert Tortoises occur as a “Metapopulation”

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Phoenix

Tucson

= Tortoise Population

I-8

I-10

I-17

I-19

I-10 Phoenix

Tucson

= Tortoise Population

= Interstate

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= Tortoise Population

Phoenix

Tucson

I-17

I-10

I-8

I-10

I-19

= Road= Interstate

= Tortoise Population

Phoenix

Tucson

= Urban buffer

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Arizona

G. agassiziiHabitat Preferences

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mtDNA Sequence Alignment

Mojave Haplogroup A

Mojave Haplogroup B

SonoranHaplogroup

SonoranHaplogroup B

SinaloanHaplogroup

Gopherus agassiziiMtDNA

HaplotypeDistribution

Lamb et al. 1989

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2 23

3

4

5 10

1

11 1

11

9

8

7

9

6

6

1

1 1 54

2 23

1 5

1

1

1

12 3

11

1

11

3

2 23

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Sonoran Genotype

Population Assignment Tests

95.72223Upper Virgin River89.23337Eastern Colorado72.21318Northern Colorado54.81731Eastern Mojave81.74960Northeastern Mojave59.6118198Southern Mojave68.06697Central Mojave84.8139164Western Mojave

% correctly assigned

# correctly assigned

# of SamplesSample Group

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CA

AZ

MX

NV

UT

WesternMojave

Northeastern Mojave

Northern

Colorado

Eastern Colorado

Upper Virgin River

Col

orad

o R

iver

sample groups

potential recovery unit boundaries

1 32

7

14

10

5

15

68

9

11

12

13

4

Las Vegas

St. George

Los Angeles

Central Mojave

SouthernMojave

0 100 km

N

Revised Recovery Units suggested for the Mojave Population of the

Desert TortoiseEastern Mojave

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CA

AZ

MX

NV UT

Col

orad

o R

iver

sample groups

recovery unitboundaries (USFWS 1994)

Las Vegas

St. George

Los Angeles

N 0 100 km

MtDNA Haplotype

Distribution

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1

11

11 1

1 1

1

11

Haplogroup A2 2

3

3

4

5

10

98

7

9

Haplogroup B

6

6

6

6

1

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St. GeorgeSt. George

Locations of captive and translocated tortoises

Colorado Desert

?

Los AngelesLos Angeles

NeedlesNeedles

Las VegasLas Vegas

BarstowBarstow

NVUT

CA

AZ

MX

Mojave Desert

0 100 kmN

?

?

1997-2004

~1940-1983

Represents >1,000 documented releases!

The genetic affects of translocatedtortoises are observed in our data

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?How well can predict the geographic origins

of an unknown tortoise?

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CA

AZ

MX

NV UT

Western Mojave

Eastern Mojave

Northeastern Mojave

Northern Colorado

Eastern Colorado

Upper Virgin River

Col

orad

o R

iver

sample groups

recovery unitboundaries (USFWS, 1994)

1 3

2

7

14

10

5

15

6

8

9

11

12

13

4

Las Vegas

St. George

Los Angeles

N 0 100 km

Geographic assignment of the confiscated tortoise

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N

Los AngelesLos Angeles

NeedlesNeedles

Las VegasLas Vegas

St. GeorgeSt. George

BarstowBarstow

NEVADA

UTAH

CALIFORNIAARIZONA

MX0 100 km

Biological Boundaries of Southwestern Deserts

SONORAN DESERT

COLORADO DESERT

MOJAVE DESERT

71% SonoranGenotype

76% Mojave Genotype

There is a difference between the legal definition of a “Mojave Desert Tortoise”, and the biological definition!

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The Verdict:“…in the end we felt that a normal JP judge would not be able to appreciate the value of the document. Since there was a probability, however slight, that it could have naturally occurred in NW Arizona, we decided to bring an end to the case. We still feel strongly that the tortoise came from California, so the fact that the tortoises owner was moving back to California was to our favor. The lady plead guilty to our charges and in turn we returned the tortoise to her and notified California Fish and Game that she had the tortoise and was bringing it back to California.”

-Gene ElmsProgram ManagerOperation Game Thief

Photo: Curtis Bjurlin

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Bolson Tortoise (Gopherus flavamarginalis)

Recommendations for captive pairings

GOFL594F

0.160.06

0.05

GOFL0C7A

0.06

0.24

0.13

0.06

0.22

GOFL2167GOFL3854GOFL350EGOFL4429GOFL524BGOFL6043GOFL0329GOFL5E7BGOFL1D79GOFL383BGOFL7532GOFL5C78GOFL220DGOFL0E69

Female “A” Female “B”Males

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Using genetics to track invasive species

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Florida Water SnakeNerodia fasciata pictiventris

A Southeastern U.S. species considered “invasive” in California.

The individuals collected in California are genetically associated with samples collected from Volusia,

Pinellas, and Hillsboro Counties in Florida.

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Snakes on a Plane?

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Black Spiny-tailed IguanaCtenosaura similis

Ctenosaura spp. Ranges from Northern Mexico and Baja to Panama

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The individuals collected in Tucson are genetically related to Ctenosaura hemilopha macrolopha, native to Sonora, Mexico, and Ctenosaura conspicuosa that originated from San Esteban Island, in

the Sea of Cortéz.

The two species were separated roughly 890 thousand years ago!

The Conservation Genetics of Bushmeat: Markets, Traffic, and Population Studies

in African Countries

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Declining Amphibian Populations

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Live frogs are easily sampled with a buccal swab kit

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~150 bp

~300 bp

DNA testing at the UofA is used to identify presence of Chytidiomycosis in

tissue sample collected in the fieldA B C D E

African Clawed Frog Xenopus Laevis

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Putting Science into ActionThe science alone will not change the world

PublishEducateAdvocateNetworkLegislateTarget politicians, communities, and media

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Applying Science to Conservation

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The “real” threats…OverpopulationPovertyDiseaseCorruptionLack of Understanding/Education

99% of Conservation

is a Social Issue

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A thing is right when it tends to preserve the integrity, stability and beauty of the biotic community. It is wrong when it tends otherwise. Aldo Leopold, A Sand County Almanac

hogl.arl.arizona.edu

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CONSERVATION BIOLOGY IN NAMIBIASUMMER SESSION I:

MAY 23 - JUNE 28 2009

• Open to Undergraduate, Graduate and Non-degree Students

• Take a five week expedition into Namibia’s extraordinary Namib Desert

• Experience real field research in Africa• Earn direct University of Arizona credit

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www.studyabroad.arizona.eduAPPLICATIONS AVAILABLE AT

The Office of Study Abroad & Student Exchange (520) 626-9211

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACTDr. Hans-Werner Herrmann, hwh@u.arizona.edu

or Taylor Edwards, taylore@u.arizona.edu