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Inbreeding, body condition, and heterozygosity-fitness correlations in isolated populations of the endangered eastern massasauga rattlesnake (Sistrurus c. catenatus)

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Abstract

Endangered species often occur in small populations that may have a greater risk of short-term extinction due to the negative effects of inbreeding depression. The eastern massasauga (Sistrurus c. catenatus) is an endangered rattlesnake that is found in isolated populations of varying size throughout its range. Here, we investigate whether variation in an indirect measure of individual fitness (relative body condition) can be explained by genome-wide levels of genetic variation (based on 19 microsatellite loci) and other factors. To do this, we use genetic and phenotypic data from individual snakes sampled from 14 populations throughout the species’ range. We tested for levels of inbreeding by comparing observed mean multi-locus heterozygosity (MLH) for each population (an estimate of average inbreeding) with the expected distribution under random mating. We then looked for evidence of heterozygosity-fitness correlations (HFCs) using a measures of individual MLH and relative body condition. In all but one population, observed MLH values are indistinguishable from those generated under a model of random mating implying low levels of inbreeding in most populations. There was significant variation in both mean MLH and mean body condition within and among populations but evidence for inbreeding depression was equivocal: in support, there were some high (but largely non-significant) HFCs effect sizes within a number populations, including one that showed significant evidence for both inbreeding and a HFC. Overall, however, there was no significant correlation between MLH and body condition across all populations after controlling for non-genetic factors such as sex, season of capture and year of capture. Our results suggest that among-population and individual differences in fitness (measured as body condition) in these snakes are better explained by short-term ecological factors rather than genetic mechanisms, but leave open the possibility that limited undetected effects of inbreeding depression are present.

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Acknowledgments

This study would not have been possible without the very generous assistance with the collection of samples and data by a variety of people. Many individuals have helped but in particular, we thank Jeff Davis, Michael Dreslik, Brian Fedorko, Tony Frazier, Dan Harvey, Matt Kowalski, Greg Lipps, Chris Parent, Chris Phillips, Kent Prior, Kevin Shoemaker, Michelle Villenueve, Pat Weatherhead, and Doug Wynn for their enthusiastic help with finding and collecting samples from rattlesnakes, Doug Wynn for help with measurements of captive snakes, Jose Diaz, Christine Anderson, and Mike Murphy for assistance with the lab work, Jessica Wooten for help with analyses, Tony Fries, Matt Holding, Mike Sovic and Pat Weatherhead for comments on the paper and Carolyn Caldwell (Ohio Division of Wildlife) for her long-term, sustained support of this work. This research was supported by funds from the Ohio Division of Wildlife and Ohio State University.

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  1. James E. Chiucchi

    Present address: Department of Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology, Ohio State University, 300 Aronoff Laboratory, 318 West 12th Avenue, Columbus, OH, 43210-1293, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology, Ohio State University, 300 Aronoff Laboratory, 318 West 12th Avenue, Columbus, OH, 43210-1293, USA

    H. Lisle Gibbs

  2. Ohio Biodiversity Conservation Partnership, Ohio State University, 300 Aronoff Laboratory, 318 West 12th Avenue, Columbus, OH, 43210-1293, USA

    H. Lisle Gibbs

  3. Center for Life Sciences Education, Ohio State University, 260 Jennings Hall, 1735 Neil Avenue, Columbus, OH, 43210-1293, USA

    James E. Chiucchi

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  1. H. Lisle Gibbs
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Correspondence to H. Lisle Gibbs.

Appendix

Appendix

See Table 4.

Table 4 Summary of data collected for estimating body condition across years and season for each population
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Gibbs, H.L., Chiucchi, J.E. Inbreeding, body condition, and heterozygosity-fitness correlations in isolated populations of the endangered eastern massasauga rattlesnake (Sistrurus c. catenatus). Conserv Genet 13, 1133–1143 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10592-012-0360-z

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