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Wildlife Research Wildlife Research Society
Ecology, management and conservation in natural and modified habitats
REVIEW

The genetics of mammalian invasions: a review

Jeremy B. Searle
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Department of Biology, University of York, PO Box 373, York YO10 5YW, England, UK.

B Email: jbs3@york.ac.uk

Wildlife Research 35(3) 185-192 https://doi.org/10.1071/WR07123
Submitted: 30 August 2007  Accepted: 26 March 2008   Published: 20 May 2008

Abstract

This review takes a broad perspective on mammalian invasions and considers genetic aspects of both natural colonisation and conservation-related translocations as a backdrop to the genetics of introductions of wildlife-management concern. Genetics can help characterise invading populations in useful ways and can reveal, with greater or lesser precision, the geographical sources of invasions, their timing and how many individuals were involved. Invading mammals may affect the genetics of natives indirectly or directly, and it is important to be able to document this. There is a need to consider both ‘organism invasion’ and ‘gene invasion’. Genetics often provides an unexpected perspective on invasion biology. Examples illustrating all these points are provided through the article.


Acknowledgements

My interest in mammalian invasions has been stimulated particularly by collaboration with Janice Britton-Davidian, Keith Dobney, Chrissen Gemmill, İslam Gündüz, Maarit Jaarola, Kim King, Petr Kotlík, Silvia Mascheretti, Robbie McDonald, Natália Martínková, Maria da Luz Mathias, Victor Rambau, Paddy Sleeman, Peter Stuart, Susan Thaw, Tom White and current members of my laboratory. I am very grateful to all these people and to other colleagues with whom I have worked on this topic. My research has benefited from funding provided by the Arts and Humanity Research Council, the European Union, the Natural Environment Research Council, the Royal Society of London and the University of York. I would like to thank my laboratory and family for giving me the time to write this review, and to Angela Douglas, Mabel Giménez, Petr Kotlík, Rodrigo Vega, Tom White, Mark Williamson and anonymous referees for comments on the paper. Finally, I am grateful to Soggy Roy and Piran White for inviting me to the Invasion meeting and to write the paper.


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