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Genetic structure in a swarming brown long-eared bat (Plecotus auritus) population: evidence for mating at swarming sites

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Abstract

Plecotus auritus, a small, gleaning bat species, lives in small, isolated summer colonies in which both males and females show a high degree of natal philopatry. Despite this, colonies have high gene diversities and low inbreeding coefficients. It has been suggested that inbreeding is avoided because mating occurs during autumnal and spring swarming at hibernation sites. We tested this hypothesis by comparing microsatellite profiles, based on eight loci, of bats from six summer colonies and two swarming sites they were known to visit from radiotelemetry studies. We found high gene diversities (Hs = 0.77) at both swarming sites and summer colonies which were not statistically different. There was no detectable isolation by distance and FST was low (0.001). Together, these results suggest high gene flow between sites. Despite this, there was small but significant genetic differentiation amongst summer colonies and between summer colonies and the primary swarming site. We suggest that swarming is important for gene flow and for maintaining genetic diversity in this highly philopatric species and discuss possible reasons for the genetic differentiation observed. The identification and protection of swarming sites should be a major conservation priority for this and other temperate bat species.

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Acknowledgements

The study was funded by the Institute of Zoology, University of Wrocław, Polish State Committee for Scientific Research and a European Marie Curie Training Fellowship. Molecular analysis was done at the University of Leeds and University of Sheffield (Sheffield Molecular Genetics Facility). Bats were caught and sampled under licences from the Polish Environmental Ministry and the local Nature Council. We thank Andy Krupa and Lisa Pope from the NERC Sheffield Molecular Genetics Facility. Roger Butlin helped with lab work and data analysis and gave invaluable assistance with the manuscript. We also are very grateful to our friends, who helped with field work, especially to Marek Furmankiewicz, Katarzyna Duma and Katarzyna Mielcarek. Thank you to all building owners for access to summer roosts and support.

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  1. Institute of Zoology, University of Wroclaw, Sienkiewicza 21, 50-335, Wroclaw, Poland

    Joanna Furmankiewicz

  2. Institute of Integrative and Comparative Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK

    John Altringham

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  1. Joanna Furmankiewicz
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Correspondence to Joanna Furmankiewicz.

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Furmankiewicz, J., Altringham, J. Genetic structure in a swarming brown long-eared bat (Plecotus auritus) population: evidence for mating at swarming sites. Conserv Genet 8, 913–923 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10592-006-9246-2

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