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Genetic variation of pronghorn across US Route 89 and State Route 64.
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2012-03-01
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[PDF-1.31 MB]
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Edition:Final report; May 2008-Dec. 2011.
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Abstract:This study investigated whether highways acted as barriers to gene flow for pronghorn in northern Arizona. DNA
samples from 132 pronghorn were analyzed using eight polymorphic microsatellite loci. Samples represented
animals living on opposite sides of US Route 89 (US 89) and State Route 64 (SR 64). Two different modeling
approaches indicated that both US 89 and SR 64, and to a lesser extent US Route 180 (US 180), acted as
barriers to gene flow. The genetic structuring caused by highways, especially across US 89, is consistent with
behavioral data that demonstrated pronghorn rarely cross this highway. This study found no evidence of
inbreeding or reduced genetic variation in any of the populations examined, but those effects may take longer to
appear. Based on these results, the researchers recommend future genetic monitoring of these populations or
assessment of genetic variation across highways with larger traffic volumes or longer histories to determine
whether the barrier effects documented here lead to loss of genetic diversity.
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