High genetic diversity and lack of structure in eastern red bats: Lasiurus borealis

Abstract

The purpose of our study was to characterize the genetic diversity and population genetic structure of eastern red bats (Lasiurus borealis) killed during fall migration at a wind farm in north-central Texas over a three-year period (2009-2011). Microsatellite loci and mitochondrial haplotypes showed high levels of genetic diversity in this species. The pattern of diversity observed in the haplotype network is consistent with what is seen in species that have undergone rapid population and range expansions since the last ice age. Both clustering analysis (i.e. grouping individuals by genetics alone) and partitioning analysis (i.e. grouping by specific characteristics such as year and fatality pulse) indicated that our samples represent a single population without genetically distinct subunits. The eastern red bats sampled from our study site, which includes a mix of migratory and resident individuals, likely represents one, large population of bats with high levels of gene flow among local populations.