Toward a non‐invasive inuit polar bear survey: Genetic data from polar bear hair snags

Abstract We explore the feasibility of collecting microsatellite genotypes of non‐invasively collected hair from free‐ranging polar bears (Ursus maritimus) in M'Clintock Channel, Nunavut, Canada. We estimate the minimum number of individuals in a region of the M'Clintock Channel population...

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Main Authors: Peter Van Coeverden De Groot, Pamela B. Y. Wong, Christopher Harris, Markus G. Dyck, Louie Kamookak, Marie Pagès, Johan Michaux, Peter T. Boag
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2013-06-01
Series:Wildlife Society Bulletin
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1002/wsb.283
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author Peter Van Coeverden De Groot
Pamela B. Y. Wong
Christopher Harris
Markus G. Dyck
Louie Kamookak
Marie Pagès
Johan Michaux
Peter T. Boag
author_facet Peter Van Coeverden De Groot
Pamela B. Y. Wong
Christopher Harris
Markus G. Dyck
Louie Kamookak
Marie Pagès
Johan Michaux
Peter T. Boag
author_sort Peter Van Coeverden De Groot
collection DOAJ
description Abstract We explore the feasibility of collecting microsatellite genotypes of non‐invasively collected hair from free‐ranging polar bears (Ursus maritimus) in M'Clintock Channel, Nunavut, Canada. We estimate the minimum number of individuals in a region of the M'Clintock Channel population and evaluate potential sampling biases associated with corral sampling stations. We optimized 6 variable microsatellite loci for genotyping hair‐snag DNA with low genotyping error (mean allelic dropout and false allele error rates <5%). In May of 4 sequential years (2006–2009), we collected 595 hair‐snag samples from 145 baited corral sampling stations, from which 319 hair snags were used to detect 59–82 individuals using 4–6 microsatellite loci; we also genetically sexed these individuals. Although genetic sex estimates of matching genotypes are generally in agreement, the estimated sex ratio differs from that previously reported from aerial mark–recapture, which suggests a potential male bias in our sampling stations. These noninvasive methods of identifying individual and sex of bears hold promise for frequent and inexpensive estimates of polar bear population activity informed by Inuit hunters. © 2013 The Wildlife Society.
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spelling doaj-art-d8c86b8787454806b7c407ddd4876ef22024-12-16T11:45:51ZengWileyWildlife Society Bulletin2328-55402013-06-0137239440110.1002/wsb.283Toward a non‐invasive inuit polar bear survey: Genetic data from polar bear hair snagsPeter Van Coeverden De Groot0Pamela B. Y. Wong1Christopher Harris2Markus G. Dyck3Louie Kamookak4Marie Pagès5Johan Michaux6Peter T. Boag7Department of BiologyQueen's UniversityKingstonONCanadaK7L 3N6Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of TorontoTorontoONCanadaM5S 3B2Department of BiologyQueen's UniversityKingstonONCanadaK7L 3N6Department of EnvironmentGovernment of NunavutIgloolikNUCanadaX0A 0L0Gjoa Haven Hunters and TrappersGjoa HavenNUCanadaX0B 1J0Laboratoire de génétique des microorganismesUniversité de Liège, Institut de Botanique4000LiègeBelgiumCentre de Biologie pour la Gestion des Populations (Unité mixte de recherche agronomique (INRA)‐Institut de recherche pour le développement (IRD)‐Centre de cooperation international en recherche agronomique pour le développement (CIRAD)‐Montpellier SupAgro), Campus International de Baillarguet, Montferrier‐sur‐LezCedex34988FranceDepartment of BiologyQueen's UniversityKingstonONCanadaK7L 3N6Abstract We explore the feasibility of collecting microsatellite genotypes of non‐invasively collected hair from free‐ranging polar bears (Ursus maritimus) in M'Clintock Channel, Nunavut, Canada. We estimate the minimum number of individuals in a region of the M'Clintock Channel population and evaluate potential sampling biases associated with corral sampling stations. We optimized 6 variable microsatellite loci for genotyping hair‐snag DNA with low genotyping error (mean allelic dropout and false allele error rates <5%). In May of 4 sequential years (2006–2009), we collected 595 hair‐snag samples from 145 baited corral sampling stations, from which 319 hair snags were used to detect 59–82 individuals using 4–6 microsatellite loci; we also genetically sexed these individuals. Although genetic sex estimates of matching genotypes are generally in agreement, the estimated sex ratio differs from that previously reported from aerial mark–recapture, which suggests a potential male bias in our sampling stations. These noninvasive methods of identifying individual and sex of bears hold promise for frequent and inexpensive estimates of polar bear population activity informed by Inuit hunters. © 2013 The Wildlife Society.https://doi.org/10.1002/wsb.283geneticshairmicrosatellite genotypingnon‐invasivepolar bearUrsus maritimus
spellingShingle Peter Van Coeverden De Groot
Pamela B. Y. Wong
Christopher Harris
Markus G. Dyck
Louie Kamookak
Marie Pagès
Johan Michaux
Peter T. Boag
Toward a non‐invasive inuit polar bear survey: Genetic data from polar bear hair snags
Wildlife Society Bulletin
genetics
hair
microsatellite genotyping
non‐invasive
polar bear
Ursus maritimus
title Toward a non‐invasive inuit polar bear survey: Genetic data from polar bear hair snags
title_full Toward a non‐invasive inuit polar bear survey: Genetic data from polar bear hair snags
title_fullStr Toward a non‐invasive inuit polar bear survey: Genetic data from polar bear hair snags
title_full_unstemmed Toward a non‐invasive inuit polar bear survey: Genetic data from polar bear hair snags
title_short Toward a non‐invasive inuit polar bear survey: Genetic data from polar bear hair snags
title_sort toward a non invasive inuit polar bear survey genetic data from polar bear hair snags
topic genetics
hair
microsatellite genotyping
non‐invasive
polar bear
Ursus maritimus
url https://doi.org/10.1002/wsb.283
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AT markusgdyck towardanoninvasiveinuitpolarbearsurveygeneticdatafrompolarbearhairsnags
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