Genomic variation in the American pika: signatures of geographic isolation and implications for conservation

Klingler, K.B., Jahner, J.P., Parchman, T.L., Ray, C., and Peacock, M.M. 2021. Genomic variation in the American pika: signatures of geographic isolation and implications for conservation. BMC Ecol Evo 21, 2. Available at https://doi.org/10.1186/s12862-020-01739-9

Pikas at Niwot Ridge’s West Knoll (in green, above) show relatively high genetic diversity when compared to other populations sampled across the species range.

Abstract

Distributional responses by alpine taxa to repeated, glacial-interglacial cycles throughout the last two million years have significantly influenced the spatial genetic structure of populations. These effects have been exacerbated for the American pika (Ochotona princeps), a small alpine lagomorph constrained by thermal sensitivity and a limited dispersal capacity. As a species of conservation concern, long-term lack of gene flow has important consequences for landscape genetic structure and levels of diversity within populations. Here, we use reduced representation sequencing (ddRADseq) to provide a genome-wide perspective on patterns of genetic variation across pika populations representing distinct subspecies. To investigate how landscape and environmental features shape genetic variation, we collected genetic samples from distinct geographic regions as well as across finer spatial scales in two geographically proximate mountain ranges of eastern Nevada.