Large-Scale Genetic Structuring of a Widely Distributed Carnivore - The Eurasian Lynx (Lynx lynx)

2014/04/02 by Eli Knispel Rueness, С. В. Найденко, Pål Trosvik +1 · 1 voice · 49 citations
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · Environmental Science · #Ancient DNA #Archaeology #Biology #Carnivore #Demography #Ecology #Gene flow #Genetic and phenotypic traits in livestock #Genetic diversity and population structure #Genetic structure #Genetic variation #Geography #Habitat #Holocene #Last Glacial Maximum #Phylogenetic tree #Phylogeography #Pleistocene #Population #Predation #Range (aeronautics) #Refugium (fishkeeping) #Wildlife Ecology and Conservation

paper · pdf · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0093675

published in PLoS ONE 9(4), e93675 (Public Library of Science)

openalex publication_date 2014/04/02 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/02

Abstract

Over the last decades the phylogeography and genetic structure of a multitude of species inhabiting Europe and North America have been described. The flora and fauna of the vast landmasses of north-eastern Eurasia are still largely unexplored in this respect. The Eurasian lynx is a large felid that is relatively abundant over much of the Russian sub-continent and the adjoining countries. Analyzing 148 museum specimens collected throughout its range over the last 150 years we have described the large-scale genetic structuring in this highly mobile species. We have investigated the spatial genetic patterns using mitochondrial DNA sequences (D-loop and cytochrome b) and 11 microsatellite loci, and describe three phylogenetic clades and a clear structuring along an east-west gradient. The most likely scenario is that the contemporary Eurasian lynx populations originated in central Asia and that parts of Europe were inhabited by lynx during the Pleistocene. After the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) range expansions lead to colonization of north-western Siberia and Scandinavia from the Caucasus and north-eastern Siberia from a refugium further east. No evidence of a Berinigan refugium could be detected in our data. We observed restricted gene flow and suggest that future studies of the Eurasian lynx explore to what extent the contemporary population structure may be explained by ecological variables.

Citations

• Mating systems, philopatry and dispersal in birds and mammals
• Differentiation and levels of genetic variation in northern European lynx (Lynx lynx) populations revealed by microsatellites and mitochondrial DNA analysis

Cited by

• Genome Scans Reveal Species-Specific Selection in the Genus Lynx
• Expanding from local to continental scale—A genetic assessment of the Eurasian wolverine
• Genetic Rescue of the Dinaric Lynx Population: Insights for Conservation From Genetic Monitoring and Individual‐Based Modelling
• Foraging ecology of Eurasian lynx populations in southwest Asia: Conservation implications for a diet specialist. [europepmc]
• Genetic evidence of female kin clusters in a continuous population of a solitary carnivore, the Eurasian lynx. [europepmc]
• Non-invasive faecal sampling reveals spatial organization and improves measures of genetic diversity for the conservation assessment of territorial species: Caucasian lynx as a case species. [europepmc]
• Genomic patterns in the widespread Eurasian lynx shaped by Late Quaternary climatic fluctuations and anthropogenic impacts. [europepmc]
• Cardiomyopathy Associated With Coronary Arteriosclerosis in Free-Ranging Eurasian Lynx ( Lynx lynx carpathicus ). [europepmc]
• Mitogenome Phylogeny Including Data from Additional Subspecies Provides New Insights into the Historical Biogeography of the Eurasian lynx Lynx lynx . [europepmc]
• Genome-environment association analyses reveal geographically restricted adaptive divergence across the range of the widespread Eurasian carnivore Lynx lynx (Linnaeus, 1758). [europepmc]
• Insights into subspecies classification and conservation priorities of Central Asian lynx populations revealed by morphometric and genetic analyses. [europepmc]
• Genetic Rescue of the Dinaric Lynx Population: Insights for Conservation From Genetic Monitoring and Individual-Based Modelling. [europepmc]
• Genome Scans Reveal Species-Specific Selection in the Genus Lynx. [europepmc]

Discussions

• Eurasian lynx DNA from 148 museum specimens was analyzed. Researchers found that the ancestral group of lynx inhabited the southern part of their current range. Lynx then colonized the northeast after [bsky, 21 points, 0 comments]

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