caa a22 4500 445858087 CHVBK 20180317145434.0 cr unu---uuuuu 170323e20110401xx s 000 0 eng 10.1007/s10592-010-0148-y doi (NATIONALLICENCE)springer-10.1007/s10592-010-0148-y Genetic diversity, social structure, and conservation value of the elephants of the Nakai Plateau, Lao PDR, based on non-invasive sampling [Elektronische Daten] [Marissa Ahlering, Simon Hedges, Arlyne Johnson, Martin Tyson, Stephanie Schuttler, Lori Eggert] The Lao People's Democratic Republic (PDR) may have the largest Asian elephant population in Indochina. However, elephants on Lao PDR's Nakai Plateau are potentially threatened by the construction of a hydropower dam that will flood important habitat. We conducted a non-invasive genetic study of elephants in this region to provide baseline data on genetic diversity and social structure prior to dam construction. For the 102 elephants we detected, values of observed heterozygosity (0.711) and allelic diversity (8.0 alleles/locus) at microsatellite loci were higher than those found in elephant populations in India and Vietnam, while mitochondrial diversity (haplotype diversity 0.741; nucleotide diversity 0.011) was similar to that reported for the Lao/Vietnam region. Six mitochondrial haplotypes were detected, representing both major clades previously reported in this species. Relatedness estimates between females and young detected near each other are consistent with familial relationships, and relatedness estimates between adult males and females suggest male locational dispersal. Since family group structure appears to be intact in the Nakai region, these elephants will likely move as relatively large family groups in response to habitat disturbance. These results have positive implications for the viability of the elephant population in this region, demonstrate its conservation significance, and will be valuable for predicting and monitoring the effects of the hydropower dam over time. Springer Science+Business Media B.V., 2010 Asian mammals nationallicence Elephas maximus nationallicence Dispersal nationallicence Microsatellites nationallicence Relatedness nationallicence Ahlering Marissa Division of Biological Sciences, University of Missouri, 226 Tucker Hall, 65211, Columbia, MO, USA aut Hedges Simon Asian Elephant Conservation Program, Wildlife Conservation Society, 10460, Bronx, NY, USA aut Johnson Arlyne Lao PDR Program, Wildlife Conservation Society, Vientiane, Lao PDR aut Tyson Martin Lao PDR Program, Wildlife Conservation Society, Vientiane, Lao PDR aut Schuttler Stephanie Division of Biological Sciences, University of Missouri, 226 Tucker Hall, 65211, Columbia, MO, USA aut Eggert Lori Division of Biological Sciences, University of Missouri, 226 Tucker Hall, 65211, Columbia, MO, USA aut Conservation Genetics Springer Netherlands 12/2(2011-04-01), 413-422 1566-0621 12:2<413 2011 12 10592 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10592-010-0148-y text/html Onlinezugriff via DOI 1 research-article jats NATIONALLICENCE 856 40 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10592-010-0148-y text/html Onlinezugriff via DOI NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Ahlering Marissa Division of Biological Sciences, University of Missouri, 226 Tucker Hall, 65211, Columbia, MO, USA aut NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Hedges Simon Asian Elephant Conservation Program, Wildlife Conservation Society, 10460, Bronx, NY, USA aut NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Johnson Arlyne Lao PDR Program, Wildlife Conservation Society, Vientiane, Lao PDR aut NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Tyson Martin Lao PDR Program, Wildlife Conservation Society, Vientiane, Lao PDR aut NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Schuttler Stephanie Division of Biological Sciences, University of Missouri, 226 Tucker Hall, 65211, Columbia, MO, USA aut NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Eggert Lori Division of Biological Sciences, University of Missouri, 226 Tucker Hall, 65211, Columbia, MO, USA aut NATIONALLICENCE 773 0- Conservation Genetics Springer Netherlands 12/2(2011-04-01), 413-422 1566-0621 12:2<413 2011 12 10592 Metadata rights reserved Springer special CC-BY-NC licence nationallicence BK010053 XK010053 XK010000 NATIONALLICENCE NATIONALLICENCE NL-springer