Free Standard AU & NZ Shipping For All Book Orders Over $80!
Register      Login
Wildlife Research Wildlife Research Society
Ecology, management and conservation in natural and modified habitats
Shopping Cart: ( empty )
You are here: Home > Journals > WR > WR06019
RESEARCH ARTICLE
Contents Vol 33(5)

Genetic structure infers generally high philopatry and male-biased dispersal of brushtail possums (Trichosurus vulpecula) in urban Australia

A. J. Stow A , N. Minarovic A B , J. Eymann A , D. W. Cooper A C and L. S. Webley A D
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, NSW 2109, Australia.

B Present address: School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, Faculty of Science, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia.

C Present address: The School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia.

D Corresponding author. Email: lwebley@rna.bio.mq.edu.au

Wildlife Research 33(5) 409-415 https://doi.org/10.1071/WR06019
Submitted: 23 February 2006  Accepted: 19 July 2006   Published: 14 August 2006

Abstract

The brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula) is in decline throughout much of its natural range with the notable exception of urban areas and a few islands. In some urban areas, its density can be high enough to cause conflict with householders. We provide the first genetic-based study of dispersal for T. vulpecula in the urban environment. Seven microsatellite markers were used to investigate genetic structure of adult male (n = 53) and female (n = 39) possums sampled from mainland suburbs of Sydney, and on nearby Scotland Island. Samples from Scotland Island also provide an opportunity to assess the effect of isolation on genetic variability, which, as theory would predict, was significantly lower than observed in mainland samples. Male-biased dispersal was inferred from patterns of relatedness between individuals of each sex. Average relatedness was significantly higher between adult female possums than between adult male possums sampled within the same garden area. In addition, males were genotypically more similar to one another at substantially greater geographic distances than females. Along with male-biased dispersal, strong localised genetic structure for both sexes infers generally high philopatry. Dispersal distances were greatest for adult male possums sampled from mainland locations. However, even for these males, genotypic similarity between possums separated by distances further than ~900 m was lower than the sample average, suggesting infrequent dispersal beyond this distance. Knowledge of dispersal patterns is important to managing the density levels of overabundant T. vulpecula in urban areas.


Acknowledgments

We thank all the property owners for allowing us access to their properties to collect samples. Research was carried out with approval from Macquarie University’s Animal Ethics Committee (Permit No. 2002/022) and New South Wales Department of Environment and Conservation (Permit No. S11336). Funding for this research was provided by the Macquarie University ‘Higher Degree Research Fund’ to JE and the Macquarie University ‘Honours Student Research Fund’ to NM.


References

Adler, G. H. , and Levins, R. (1994). The island syndrome in rodent populations. Quarterly Review of Biology 69, 473–490.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | PubMed | Clinchy M. (1999). Does immigration ‘rescue’ populations from extinction? Ph.D. Thesis, The University of British Columbia, Canada.

Clinchy, M. , Krebs, C. J. , and Jarman, P. J. (2001). Dispersal sinks and handling effects: interpreting the role of immigration in common brushtail possum populations. Journal of Animal Ecology 70, 515–526.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | Coleman J. D., and Caley P. (2000). Possums as a reservoir of bovine tuberculosis. In ‘The Brushtail Possum; Biology, Impact and Management of an Introduced Marsupial’. (Ed. T. L. Montague.) pp. 92–104. (Manaaki Whenua Press: Lincoln, New Zealand.)

Cowan P., and Clout M. (2000). Possums on the move: activity patterns, home ranges, and dispersal. In ‘The Brushtail Possum: Biology, Impact and Management of an Introduced Marsupial’. (Ed. T. L. Montague.) pp. 24–34. (Manaaki Whenua Press: Lincoln, New Zealand.)

Cowan, P. E. , and Rhodes, D. S. (1993). Electric fences and poison buffers as barriers to movements and dispersal of brushtail possums (Trichosurus vulpecula) on farmland. Wildlife Research 20, 671–686.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | Cowan P. E., Clark J., Heath D., Stankiewicz M., and Meers J. (2000). Predators, parasites and diseases of possums. In ‘The Brushtail Possum; Biology, Impact and Management of an Introduced Marsupial’. (Ed. T. L. Montague.) pp. 82–91. (Manaaki Whenua Press: Lincoln, New Zealand.)

Efford, M. (1998). Demographic consequences of sex-based dispersal in a population of brushtail possums. Journal of Animal Ecology 67, 503–517.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | Frankham R., Ballou J. D., and Briscoe D. A. (2002). ‘Introduction to Conservation Genetics.’ (Cambridge University Press: Cambridge, UK.)

Goldingay R. L., and Jackson S. M. (Eds) (2004). ‘The Biology of Australian Possums and Gliders.’ (Surrey Beatty: Sydney.)

Goodnight K. F., Queller D. C., and Poznansky T. (1998). Kinship 1.2. Goodnight Software. Available at http://www.gsofnet.us/Gsoft.html.

Goudet J. (2001). FSTAT, a program to estimate and test gene diversities and fixation indices (Version 2.9.3). Available from http://www2.unil.ch/popgen/softwares/fstat.htm. Updated from Goudet (1995).

Harper, M. J. (2005). Home range and den use of common brushtail possums (Trichosurus vulpecula) in urban forest remnants. Wildlife Research 32, 681–687.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | Hood G. M. (2005). PopTools. Version 2.6.7. Available from http://www.cse.csiro.au/poptools.

Isaac, J. L. (2005). Life history and demographics of an island possum. Australian Journal of Zoology 53, 195–203.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | Kerle A. (2001). ‘Possums – the Brushtails, Ringtails and Greater Glider.’ (University of New South Wales Press Ltd: Sydney.)

Kerle A. (2004). A cautionary tale: decline of the common brushtail possum Trichosurus vulpecula and common ringtail possum Pseudocheirus peregrinus in the woodlands of the western slopes and plains of New South Wales. In ‘The Biology of Australian Possums and Gliders’. (Eds R. L. Goldingay and S. M. Jackson.) pp. 71–84. (Surrey Beatty: Sydney.)

Kerle, J. A. , Foulkes, J. N. , Kimber, R. G. , and Papenfus, D. (1992). The decline of the brushtail possum, Trichosurus vulpecula (Kerr 1798), in arid Australia. Rangeland Journal 14, 107–127.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | Matthews A., Lunney D., Waples K., and Hardy J. (2004). Brushtail possums: ‘champion of the suburbs’ or ‘our tormentors’? In ‘Urban Wildlife: More than Meets the Eye’. (Eds D. Lunney and S. Burgin.) pp. 159–168. (Royal Zoological Society of NSW: Sydney.)

Mills, H. R. , Moro, D. , and Spencer, P. B. S. (2004). Conservation significance of island versus mainland populations: a case study of dibblers (Parantechinus apicalis) in Western Australia. Animal Conservation 7, 387–395.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | Montague T. L. (Ed.) (2000). ‘The Brushtail Possum: Biology, Impact and Management of an Introduced Marsupial.’ (Manaaki Whenua Press: Lincoln, New Zealand.)

Paull D., and Kerle A. (2004). Recent decline of common brushtail and common ringtail possum in the Pilliga forest, New South Wales? In ‘The Biology of Australian Possums and Gliders’. (Eds R. L. Goldingay and S. M. Jackson.) pp. 85–90. (Surrey Beatty: Sydney.)

Peakall R., and Smouse P. E. (2001). GenAlEx V5: Genetic Analysis in Excel. Population genetic software for teaching and research. Australian National University, Canberra. http://www.anu.edu.au/BoZo/GenAlEx

Peakall, R. , Ruibal, M. , and Lindenmayer, D. B. (2003). Spatial autocorrelation analysis offers new insights into gene flow in the Australian bush rat. Evolution 57, 1182–1195.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | PubMed | Pietsch R. S. (1994). The fate of common brushtail possums translocated to sclerophyll forest. In ‘Reintroduction Biology of Australian and New Zealand Fauna’. (Ed. M. Serena.) pp. 239–246. (Surrey Beatty: Sydney.)

Raymond, M. , and Rousset, F. (1995). GENEPOP (Version 1.2): population genetics software for exact tests and ecumenicism. Journal of Heredity 86, 248–249.


Rice, W. (1989). Analysing values of statistical tests. Evolution 43, 223–225.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Roemer, G. W. , Smith, D. A. , Garcelon, D. K. , and Wayne, R. K. (2001). The behavioural ecology of the island fox (Urocyon littoralis). Journal of Zoology 255, 1–14.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Sinclair, E. A. (2001). Phylogeographic variation in the quokka, Setonix brachyurus (Marsupialia: Macropodidae): implications for conservation. Animal Conservation 4, 325–333.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Spielman, D. , Brook, B. W. , and Frankham, R. (2004). Most species are not driven to extinction before genetic factors impact them. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 101, 15261–15264.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | PubMed |

Stamps, J. A. , and Buechner, M. (1985). The territorial defense hypothesis and the ecology of insular vertebrates. Quarterly Review of Biology 60, 155–182.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | PubMed |

Statham, M. , and Statham, H. L. (1997). Movements and habits of brushtail possums (Trichosurus vulpecula Kerr) in an urban area. Wildlife Research 24, 715–726.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Stow, A. J. , Sunnucks, P. , Briscoe, D. A. , and Gardner, M. G. (2001). The impact of habitat fragmentation on dispersal of Cunningham’s skink Egernia cunninghami: evidence from allelic and genotypic analyses of microsatellites. Molecular Ecology 10, 867–878.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | PubMed |

Sullivan, T. P. (1977). Demography and dispersal in island and mainland populations of the deer mouse, Peromyscus maniculatus. Ecology 58, 964–978.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Sunnucks, P. , and Hales, D. (1996). Numerous transposed sequences of mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I–II in aphids of the genus Sitobion (Hemiptera: Aphididae). Molecular Biology and Evolution 13, 510–524.
| PubMed |

Tamarin, R. H. (1977). Dispersal in island and mainland voles. Ecology 58, 1044–1054.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Taylor, A. C. , and Cooper, D. W. (1998). Microsatellite markers for the phalangerid marsupial, the common brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula). Molecular Ecology 7, 1771–1788.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | PubMed |

Taylor, A. C. , Horsup, A. , Johnson, C. N. , Sunnucks, P. , and Sherwin, B. (1997). Relatedness structure detected by microsatellite analysis and attempted pedigree reconstruction in an endangered marsupial, the northern hairy-nosed wombat Lasiorhinus krefftii. Molecular Ecology 6, 9–19.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | PubMed |

Taylor, A. C. , Cowan, B. E. , Fricke, B. L. , and Cooper, D. W. (2000). Genetic analysis of the mating system of the common brush tail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula) in New Zealand. Molecular Ecology 9, 869–879.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | PubMed |

Taylor, A. C. , Cowan, P. E. , Fricke, B. L. , Geddes, S. , Hansen, B. D. , Lam, M. , and Cooper, D. W. (2004). High microsatellite diversity and differential structuring among populations of the introduced common brushtail possum, Trichosurus vulpecula, in New Zealand. Genetical Research 83, 101–111.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | PubMed |

Triggs, S. J. , and Green, W. Q. (1989). Geographic patterns of genetic variation in brushtail possums Trichosurus vulpecula and implications for pest control. New Zealand Journal of Ecology 12, 1–10.


Ward, G. D. (1985). The fate of young radiotagged common brushtail possums, Trichosurus vulpecula, in New Zealand lowland forest. Australian Wildlife Research 12, 145–150.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Winter, J. W. (1980). Tooth wear as an age index in a population of the brush-tailed possum Trichosurus vulpecula. Australian Wildlife Research 7, 359–364.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Zenger, K. , Eldridge, M. , and Cooper, D. W. (2003). Intraspecific variation, sex-biased dispersal and phylogeography of the eastern grey kangaroo (Macropus giganteus). Heredity 91, 153–162.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | PubMed |