Proceedings from the Caribou Genetics and Relationships Workshop
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PROCEEDINGS FROM THE CARIBOU GENETICS AND RELATIONSHIPS WORKSHOP EDMONTON, ALBERTA, MARCH 8-9, 2003 Keri McFarlane, Anne Gunn, and Curtis Strobeck (Editors) Department of Natural Resources and Environment Government of the Northwest Territories 2009 Manuscript Report No. 183 The contents of this paper are the sole responsibility of the authors ii iii TABLE OF CONTENTS Meeting Agenda .................................................................................................... 1 List of Participants ................................................................................................. 2 Introduction to the Workshop ................................................................................ 3 Distribution of Caribou in North America ............................................................... 6 Caribou Morphology and Taxonomy With Emphasis on Canada‟s Arctic Islands ............................................................................................................................ 23 Towards Defining Conservation Units for Woodland Caribou in British Columbia ............................................................................................................................ 43 Populations, Metapopulations, Ecotypes and Subspecies of Caribou in Québec- Labrador: An Exploratory Discussion .................................................................. 59 Defining Herds Within the Range of „Bluenose‟ Barren-ground Caribou in Canada‟s Northwest Territories and Nunavut ..................................................... 71 Genetic Diversity and History of Peary Caribou (Rangifer tarandus) in North America ............................................................................................................... 73 Genetic Diversity and Relatedness Among Caribou Populations in North America .......................................................................................................................... 102 Part 1. Do Subspecific Divisions Make Good Conservation Units? ............... 103 Part 2. Genetic Diversity Among Barren-Ground and the Porcupine Caribou Herds ............................................................................................................. 135 Part 3. Genetic Diversity Among Woodland and Grant‟s Caribou Herds ....... 147 Conclusions of the Workshop ........................................................................... 165 Acknowledgements ........................................................................................... 171 iv 1 MEETING AGENDA 8:00 – 8:15 Welcome and Introduction Curtis Strobeck, University of Alberta 8:15 – 9:15 Caribou Distribution Lee Harding, SciWrite Environmental Sciences Ltd. 9:15 – 10:15 Caribou Morphology Anne Gunn, Department of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development, GNWT 10:30 – 11:00 Woodland Caribou in British Columbia Ian Hatter, BC Ministry of Water, Land, and Air Protection 11:00 – 11:30 Caribou in Eastern Canada Serge Couturier, Quebec Wildlife and Parks 11:30 – 12:00 Northern Caribou John Nagy, Department of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development, GNWT 1:00 – 3:00 Overview of Population Genetics and Phylogeny Curtis Strobeck, University of Alberta 3:15 – 4:30 Open Question Period about Genetic Methodologies Curtis Strobeck, University of Alberta 9:00 – 9:30 Mitochondrial DNA RFLP Analyses of Northern and Southern Caribou Clades Curtis Strobeck, University of Alberta 9:30 – 10:30 Mitochondrial DNA Sequence Analyses Judith Eger, Royal Ontario Museum 10:45 – 11:45 Microsatellite DNA Analyses of Woodland, Grant‟s, Barren- ground, and Peary caribou Keri Zittlau, University of Alberta 1:00 – 3:00 Panel Discussion Chair: David Shackelton, University of British Columbia 2 LIST OF PARTICIPANTS Serge Couturier Quebec Wildlife and Parks Judith Eger Royal Ontario Museum Anne Gunn Department of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development, Government of the Northwest Territories Lee Harding SciWrite Environmental Sciences Ltd. Ian Hatter British Columbia Ministry of Water, Land, and Air Protection John Nagy Department of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development, Government of the Northwest Territories *Curtis Strobeck University of Alberta Keri Zittlau University of Alberta †David Shackleton University of British Columbia Greg Wilson University of Alberta Theresa Aniskowicz Canadian Wildlife Service, COSEWIC Mathieu Dumond Department of Sustainable Development, Government of Nunavut Paul Frame University of Alberta Alistair Franke University of Alberta Frank Miller Canadian Wildlife Service Hal Reynolds Canadian Wildlife Service * Position paper not included in proceedings † Moderator 3 INTRODUCTION TO THE WORKSHOP The Caribou Genetics and Relationships Workshop was funded and organized by the Department of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development of the Government of the Northwest Territories and the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Alberta. The workshop was held at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, AB on March 8-9, 2003. The purpose of the workshop was to gather caribou biologists to discuss caribou taxonomic classification. Historically, morphological and behavioural distinctions have been recognized among groups of caribou and used to support the existing formal taxonomy (summarized in Banfield, 19611). However, over the last decade, the number of genetic analyses has increased. Genetic analyses using mitochondrial and nuclear DNA are changing our understanding of caribou evolutionary relationships. Consequently, the formal classification is in need of revision and our workshop was an exploratory step toward this by reviewing current knowledge on caribou genetics and evolutionary relationships. Presently, nine subspecies of Rangifer are recognized, but as many as 55 species and subspecies have been previously described. The currently recognized subspecies are primarily differentiated according to morphological characteristics (e.g., skull and bone length, antler shape and dentition) and habitat specifications (boreal regions vs. arctic tundra and taiga). However, despite the general observed differences between subspecies, local 1 Banfield, A.W.F. 1961. A revision of the reindeer and caribou, genus Rangifer. National Museum of Canada, Bulletin No.177, Biological Series no. 66:1-137. 4 morphological variations occur within subspecies. This has led to confusion regarding caribou taxonomy in some instances. Furthermore, recent molecular evidence has suggested that genetic differences may not correspond to morphologically- and behaviourally-defined groups. To complicate this matter, some of the genetic information is poorly understood. Without an understanding of the evolutionary relationships among caribou, long-term management and conservation strategies may become difficult to apply. The goal of the workshop was to define conservation units for caribou and to propose a hierarchical classification below the species level. We did this by addressing three objectives. First, we aimed to discern the information that genetic studies of caribou can reveal. Second, we discussed how current research could be used to define conservation units for long-term caribou preservation. Third, we attempted to identify gaps in existing knowledge. The first half of the workshop focused discussions around caribou distribution and morphology, including overviews of caribou ecology and biology within various North American regions. The second half of the workshop focused discussions around the use of genetic data for describing differences among groups and culminated with explanations of recent genetic findings. The workshop concluded with a panel discussion, which addressed options for defining conservation units and for determining a classification for the genus Rangifer. These proceedings include manuscripts describing the knowledge presented and discussed during the workshop. The organizers thank the authors 5 and participants for their efforts in producing these papers and for making the workshop a success. 6 DISTRIBUTION OF CARIBOU IN NORTH AMERICA Lee E. Harding SciWrite Environmental Sciences Ltd. 2339 Sumpter Drive Coquitlam, British Columbia, Canada V3J 6Y3 Tel: 604-469-6795 INTRODUCTION The genetic relationships among caribou populations have become critical to their conservation status. A conservation status listing – such as threatened or endangered – moves governments to allocate resources, communities to adopt conservation plans, and individuals to consider the consequences of their resource use decisions (Harding, 1997; Possingham and others, 2002). With the impending passage of the proposed Species at Risk Act, listing may impose federal legal requirements. Under rules for the assignment of conservation status, the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) not only recognizes species and subspecies that may be designated, but also varieties and morphologically and geographically separate populations. Sub-subspecific populations can be assigned conservation status as “nationally significant populations”. However, COSEWIC has experienced some uncertainty in deciding whether or not to consider for designation the populations of some species, particularly when their national significance or taxonomic distinctiveness is not obvious (COSEWIC 1998). In species where some subspecies, varieties, or populations may be stable while others are declining, 7 the issue of classification becomes critical. This paper reviews the distribution of caribou