Journal article
Use of genetic methods to establish male-biased dispersal in a cryptic mammal, the swamp wallaby (Wallabia bicolor)
JZ Paplinska, MDB Eldridge, DW Cooper, PDM Temple-Smith, MB Renfree
Australian Journal of Zoology | Published : 2009
DOI: 10.1071/ZO09014
Abstract
Mammalian dispersal tends to be male-biased although female-biased dispersal has also been reported in a range of taxa. Most of our knowledge on mammalian sex-biased dispersal is based on studies of eutherians and less work has been done on the direction and causes of sex-biased dispersal in marsupials. This study investigated dispersal of swamp wallabies between two habitat patches in South Gippsland, Victoria, using genetic methods. A Bayesian clustering test showed a high level of genetic exchange between the two habitat patches despite their separation by 1017km of cleared land, a creek and a highway. Females in the overall sample were more closely related to each other than males were t..
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Funding Acknowledgements
This study was supported by the Holsworth Wildlife Research fund and by a Melbourne University Research Scholarship to JZP. We thank Steve Wentworth, Mark Grumley and Mark Felmingham of Grand Ridge Plantations for supplying tissue samples at Maryvale. Thanks also go to staff at Healesville Sanctuary, especially David Middleton and Paul Slinger for help and advice. Warm thanks to Andrew Paplinski and Geoff Shaw for mathematical advice and Karen Firestone for comments on the manuscript. Special thanks also to all field volunteers, especially Graeme Finlayson, Scott McCoombe and Richard Moyle. Many thanks to Sue Osborn, Scott Brownlees and Kerry Martin for all help with animal husbandry.