Conservation Genetics of Threatened Cowhead Lake Tui Chubs

1
Conservation Genetics of Threatened Cowhead Lake
Tui Chubs

• Yongjiu Chen Bernie May
• Genomic Variation Laboratory, Department of
  Animal Science, The University of California,
  Davis, CA 95616

2
What is the Cowhead Lake Tui Chub (CLTC)?

• CLTC was first given subspecific status,
  Siphateles bicolor vaccaceps by Hubbs Miller in
  1948.

3
Where is the CLTC?

• Its distribution is restricted to the Cowhead
  Slough and connected ditches within the drained
  bed of Cowhead Lake, the extreme northeastern
  California.

Cowhead Slough
4
SLTC - Summer Lake TRTC - Three-mile River KLTC -
Klamath Lake GLTC - Goose Lake CLTC - Cowhead
Lake ELTC - Eagle Lake LTC - Lahaton HTC -
OTC/LTC Hybrid OTC - Owens
5

6
Who is Most Closely Related to CLTC?

• Its genetic relationships to other S. bicolor
  populations in Oregon, Nevada, and California are
  UNCERTAIN, although it is probably most closely
  related to the geographically proximate Goose
  Lake tui chub.

7
Why is CLTC Concerned?

• CLTC was proposed for federal listing as
  threatened in 1998 in response to human impacts,
  as well as stochastic natural events.

8
Objectives/Hypotheses

• Genetic variation within and between CLTC GLTC
  populations.
• Genetic relationships of CLTC GLTC to other tui
  chub populations in Oregon, Nedava, and
  California.
• Whether CLTC should be classified as a DPS
  (designated population segment)?

9
Microsatellite DNA Variation of CLTC GLTC
(Gbi-G13 87)
GLTC
CLTC
10
Allele Frequency Distribution of CLTC GLTC
(Gbi-G79)
11
Factorial Correspondence Analysis (FCA) of CLTC
GLTC
12
FCA of Tui Chub Populations (Factor 1 vs 2)
13
FCA of Tui Chub Populations (Factor 1 vs 3)
14
Conclusions

• CLTC is genetically differentiated from the GLTC
  population.
• Based on current results, CLTC should be
  designated as an independent DPS.
• Warner Valley tui chubs should be analyzed to
  verify our conclusions.