Convergent geographic patterns between grizzly bear population genetic structure and Indigenous language groups in coastal British Columbia, Canada

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dc.contributor.authorHenson, Lauren
dc.contributor.authorBalkenhol, Niko
dc.contributor.authorGustas, Robert
dc.contributor.authorAdams, Megan
dc.contributor.authorWalkus, Jennifer
dc.contributor.authorHousty, William
dc.contributor.authorStronen, Astrid
dc.contributor.authorMoody, Jason
dc.contributor.authorReece, Donald
dc.contributor.authorvonHoldt, Brigett
dc.contributor.authorMcKechnie, Iain
dc.contributor.authorKoop, Ben
dc.contributor.authorDarimont, Chris
dc.date.accessioned2022-04-29T16:22:15Z
dc.date.available2022-04-29T16:22:15Z
dc.date.copyright2021en_US
dc.date.issued2021
dc.description.abstractLandscape genetic analyses of wildlife populations can exclude variation in a broad suite of potential spatiotemporal correlates, including consideration of how such variation might have similarly influenced people over time. Grizzly bear (Ursus arctos) populations in what is now known as coastal British Columbia, Canada, provide an opportunity to examine the possible effects of a complex set of landscape and human influences on genetic structure. In this collaboration among the Nuxalk, Haíɫzaqv, Kitasoo/ Xai’xais, Gitga’at, and Wuikinuxv First Nations and conservation scientists, we characterized patterns of genetic differentiation in the grizzly bear, a species of high cultural value, by genotyping 22 microsatellite loci from noninvasively collected hair samples over a 23,500 km2 area. We identified three well-differentiated groups. Resistance surfaces, which incorporated past and present human use, settlement, and landscape resistant features, could not explain this pattern of genetic variation. Notably, however, we detected spatial alignment between Indigenous language families and grizzly bear genetic groups. Grizzly bears sampled within an area represented by a given language family were significantly similar to those sampled within that language family (P = 0.001) and significantly divergent to those sampled outside the language family (P = 0.001). This spatial co-occurrence suggests that grizzly bear and human groups have been shaped by the landscape in similar ways, creating a convergence of grizzly bear genetic and human linguistic diversity. Additionally, grizzly bear management units designated by the provincial government currently divide an otherwise continuous group and exclude recently colonized island populations that are genetically continuous with adjacent mainland groups. This work provides not only insight into how ecological and geographic conditions can similarly shape the distribution of people and wildlife but also new genetic evidence to support renewed, locally led management of grizzly bears into the future.en_US
dc.description.reviewstatusRevieweden_US
dc.description.scholarlevelFacultyen_US
dc.description.sponsorshipLHH was supported in this work by a MITACS Accelerate Fellowship with Raincoast Conservation Foundation and a Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation Seed Grant. AVS was supported by a senior postdoctoral fellowship from Insubria University, Italy. CTD was supported by the Wilburforce Foundation, the SkyeMikko Foundation, the Raincoast Research Chair, and an NSERC Discovery Grant (435683).en_US
dc.identifier.citationHenson, L.H., Balkenhol, N., Gustas, R., Adams, M., Walkus, J., Housty, W.G., Stronen, A.V., Moody, J., Service, C., Reece, D., VonHoldt, B., McKechnie, I., Koop, B.F., Darimont, C.T., 2021. Convergent geographic patterns between grizzly bear population genetic structure and Indigenous language groups in coastal British Columbia. Ecology and Society 26.(3).en_US
dc.identifier.urihttps://doi.org/10.5751/ES-12443-260307
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/1828/13905
dc.language.isoenen_US
dc.publisherEcology and Societyen_US
dc.rightsAttribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.5 Canada*
dc.rights.urihttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.5/ca/*
dc.subjectbiocultural diversityen_US
dc.subjectgrizzly bear (Ursus arctos)en_US
dc.subjectpopulation genetic structureen_US
dc.subjectlandscape geneticsen_US
dc.titleConvergent geographic patterns between grizzly bear population genetic structure and Indigenous language groups in coastal British Columbia, Canadaen_US
dc.typeArticleen_US

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