Conservation of the endangered Mediterranean tortoise Testudo hermanni hermanni: The contribution of population genetics and historical demography
2016
Zenboudji-Beddek, Saliha | Cheylan, Marc | Arnal, Véronique | Bertolero, Albert | Leblois, Raphaël | Astruc, Guillelme | Bertorelle, Giorgio | Pretus, Joan, Ll. | Valvo, Mario Lo | Sotgiu, Giuseppe | Montgelard, Claudine | Centre d’Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive (CEFE) ; Université Paul-Valéry - Montpellier 3 (UPVM)-Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA)-Centre international d'études supérieures en sciences agronomiques (Montpellier SupAgro)-École Pratique des Hautes Études (EPHE) ; Université Paris Sciences et Lettres (PSL)-Université Paris Sciences et Lettres (PSL)-Université de Montpellier (UM)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD [Occitanie])-Institut national d’études supérieures agronomiques de Montpellier (Montpellier SupAgro) | Picampall, the Terres de l'Ebre Ornithological Association ; Partenaires INRAE | Centre de Biologie pour la Gestion des Populations (UMR CBGP) ; Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement (Cirad)-Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA)-Centre international d'études supérieures en sciences agronomiques (Montpellier SupAgro)-Université de Montpellier (UM)-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD [Occitanie])-Institut national d’études supérieures agronomiques de Montpellier (Montpellier SupAgro) | Università degli Studi di Ferrara = University of Ferrara (UniFE) | Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology (SVeB) (SVeB) ; Università degli Studi di Ferrara = University of Ferrara (UniFE) | Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona = Autonomous University of Barcelona = Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona (UAB) | Università degli studi di Palermo - University of Palermo (UNIPA) | Association Zirichiltaggi Sardinia Wildlife Conservation ; Partenaires INRAE | University of Johannesburg [South Africa] (UJ) | This study was supported by the Foundation for Research on Biodiversity (FRB: Fondation pour la Recherche sur la Biodiversité) with CORSEPYR project funding (AAP-IN-2009-15). The French National Action Plan (PNA: Plan National d'Action) financed the sample-collecting field work and partly funded the production of molecular data [French ministery of ecology grants (DREAL-PACA): CNRS contract n° 077100 in 2013 and CNRS contract n° 131759 in 2014]. The regional governments of Catalonia and the Balearic Islands (Generalitat of Catalonia and the Govern de les Illes Balears) authorized our scientific work. Field work in the Ebro Delta, the Albera and Minorca was partially funded by the Ebro Delta Natural Park, the Generalitat de Catalunya, the Institut Menorquí d'Estudis (IME) and the Spanish Ministry of Science and Technology (CICYT CGL2004-0473/BOS. The regional governments of Catalonia and the Balearic Islands (Generalitat of Catalonia and the Govern de les Illes Balears) authorized our scientific work. Field work in the Ebro Delta, the Albera and Minorca was partially funded by the Ebro Delta Natural Park, the Generalitat de Catalunya, the Institut Menorquí d'Estudis (IME) and the Spanish Ministry of Science and Technology (CICYT CGL2004-0473/BOS). All molecular data were generated at the technical facility of the Mediterranean Center of the Environment and Biodiversity (CeMEB: Centre Méditerranéen de l'Environnement et de la Biodiversité) in Montpellier, France. Microsatellite genotyping was carried out at the MBB platform of the CeMEB LabEx laboratory in Montpellier. The Migraine analysis was carried out using the MIGALE and GenoToul bioinformatics platforms at the French National Institute of Agronomic Research (INRA: Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique) and the computing grids of the Center of Biology for Population Management (CBGP: Centre de Biologie pour la Gestion des Populations) laboratory. | ANR-10-LABX-0004,CeMEB,Mediterranean Center for Environment and Biodiversity(2010)
International audience
Show more [+] Less [-]English. Estimating the genetic variation and demographic trends of species in decline is of major concern in conservation genetics. This study contributes to understanding how historical and anthropogenic factors shape the distribution of current genetic diversity in one of the most endangered reptiles in Western Europe, the Hermann's tortoise Testudo hermanni hermanni. We used 17 microsatellite loci, chosen from a pyrosequencing library specifically developed for the subspecies to genotype eight populations distributed over about 30 sample localities covering almost the entire geographic distribution of the sub-species. The population genetic results reflect a very strong genetic structure and identify three major clusters among the Hermann's tortoise in the occidental Mediterranean basin: a continental cluster (Albera in Spain, Var in France and continental Italy), an insular cluster (Corsica, Sardinia and Sicily) and a cluster of mixed lineage (Minorca). Each of the eight studied populations is characterized by only one lineage except for Minorca, in which two lineages were identified. In contrast to what most empirical studies predict, the genetic diversity of the Hermann's tortoise is greater on islands than on the continent. Islands can therefore be considered as genetic sanctuaries with high conservation potential for this species, particularly in Corsica. Historical demographic patterns inferred with a generalized stepwisemutation model (GSM) using maximum likelihood showed significant past demographic changes in only two of the eight sampled populations: a demographic bottleneck was detected in the Albera population (Spain) and a demographic expansion in Corsica (France). In contrast to what was argued in previous studies, these results indicate that the Hermann's tortoise lineage found in Corsica is autochthonous. The origin of both lineages found in Minorca remains speculative. Lastly, our study identifies the six most relevant management units (sensu Moritz, 1994) for conservation purposes on the basis that they represent a significant part of the evolutionary legacy of the species. Some conservation recommendations were proposed, in particular for the most threatened population in Albera.
Show more [+] Less [-]AGROVOC Keywords
Bibliographic information
This bibliographic record has been provided by Institut national de la recherche agronomique
