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Strong population substructure is correlated with morphology and ecology in a migratory bat

Nature volume 424, pages 187–191 (2003)Cite this article

Abstract

Examining patterns of inter-population genetic diversity can provide valuable information about both historical and current evolutionary processes affecting a species. Population genetic studies of flying and migratory species such as bats and birds have traditionally shown minimal population substructure, characterized by high levels of gene flow between populations1,2. In general, strongly substructured mammalian populations either are separated by non-traversable barriers or belong to terrestrial species with low dispersal abilities3. Species with female philopatry (the tendency to remain in or consistently return to the natal territory) might show strong substructure when examined with maternally inherited mitochondrial DNA, but this substructure generally disappears when biparentally inherited markers are used, owing to male-mediated gene flow4. Male-biased dispersal is considered typical for mammals5, and philopatry in both sexes is rare. Here we show strong population substructure in a migratory bat species, and philopatry in both sexes, as indicated by concordance of nuclear and mtDNA findings. Furthermore, the genetic structure correlates with local biomes and differentiation in wing morphology. There is therefore a close correlation of genetic and morphological differentiation in sympatric subspecific populations of this mammalian species.

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Figure 1: Location of major M. s. natalensis colonies and subpopulations in relation to the major biomes20 of South Africa.
Figure 2: PCA of M. s. natalensis colony differentiation, generated from microsatellite data in PCA-GEN.
Figure 3: Minimum spanning network of 55 unique mtDNA control region sequence haplotypes identified in M. s. natalensis colonies, superimposed over a map of South Africa.
Figure 4: PCA of M. s. natalensis wing morphology.

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Acknowledgements

We thank R. Bernard, P. Taylor, B. Eick, C. Logan, M. Kirkman and R. Louw for assistance with obtaining samples; P. Owen, I. Baumgarten, C. van Heerden and D. James for technical assistance in the laboratory; and M. Butterworth and E. Teeling for constructive comments on the manuscript. This work was funded by grants from the National Research Foundation of South Africa and the University Research Committee of the University of Cape Town.

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  1. Cassandra M. Miller-Butterworth

    Present address: Laboratory of Genomic Diversity, National Cancer Institute, PO Box B, Frederick, Maryland, 21702, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Zoology, University of Cape Town, Private Bag, Rondebosch, 7701, South Africa

    Cassandra M. Miller-Butterworth & David S. Jacobs

  2. Wildlife Genetics Unit, Division of Chemical Pathology, University of Cape Town, Observatory, 7925, South Africa

    Cassandra M. Miller-Butterworth & Eric H. Harley

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  1. Cassandra M. Miller-Butterworth
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Correspondence to Cassandra M. Miller-Butterworth.

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Miller-Butterworth, C., Jacobs, D. & Harley, E. Strong population substructure is correlated with morphology and ecology in a migratory bat. Nature 424, 187–191 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1038/nature01742

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