Assessing genetic variation and population structure of invasive North American beaver (Castor Canadensis Kuhl, 1820) in Tierra Del Fuego (Argentina)

• Published in: Biological invasions Vol. 10; no. 5; pp. 673 - 683
• Main Authors: Lizarralde, Marta Susana, Bailliet, Graciela, Poljak, Sebastián, Fasanella, Mariana, Giulivi, Cecilia
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Dordrecht : Springer Netherlands 01.06.2008; Springer Netherlands; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: adaptation; Animal populations; animal reproduction; Aquatic mammals; Beavers; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Castor canadensis; Developmental Biology; Ecology; Freshwater & Marine Ecology; gene flow; Genetic diversity; genetic variation; Genetics; habitats; introduced species; Invasive species; Life Sciences; Mitochondrial DNA; molecular sequence data; Nonnative species; nucleotide sequences; Original Paper; Plant Sciences; population genetics; population growth; Population structure; Reproduction; ribosomal DNA; Studies; Argentina; Cytochrome b; Genetic variation; Control region; 12S rRNA; D-loop; Invasive population; Haplotype; Mitochondrial marker; Tierra del Fuego
• ISSN: 1387-3547; 1573-1464
• DOI: 10.1007/s10530-007-9161-6

The North American beaver (Castor Canadensis) was introduced into Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego, Argentina in 1946 as a potential source of wild fur. The species showed high growth potential, reaching close to 100,000 individuals from an original founding stock of 25 females and 25 males. Beavers adapted rapidly to their new environment and became invasive, providing an excellent model of successful adaptation of introduced populations to a new habitat. In this study, we used polymorphic mitochondrial (mt) DNA to evaluate genetic variation in the introduced beaver population from Tierra del Fuego. Nucleotide variation in partial sequences of Cytochrome b (500 bp) and 12S rRNA (421 bp) genes and the main non-coding D-loop region (521 bp) were analyzed. Our study allowed to identify 10 different mtDNA lineages in the invasive population, none of them shared among the source populations. The pattern observed is a consequence of cessation of gene flow following expansion of the founding beaver population since the time of its introduction. This approach contributes to the understanding of effects of genetic changes on survival ability and reproductive success of invasive species. It also has important management implications to invasive species.