DOI: 10.5061/dryad.crjdfn3dz
title: Data from: Comparing microsatellites and single nucleotide polymorphisms to evaluate genetic structure and diversity in wolverines (Gulo gulo) across Alaska and western Canada

description: The Wolverine (Gulo gulo) is a cold-adapted species of conservation
 interest because it is sensitive to human development, disturbance,
 exploitation, and climate warming. Wolverine populations have been studied
 across much of their distributional range to evaluate patterns of genetic
 diversity, genetic structure, and gene flow. Little population structure
 has been detected in northwestern North America with microsatellite loci,
 but low genomic diversity in wolverines may limit detection of genetic
 differences in this highly vagile species. Here, we genotyped a relatively
 large sample of wolverines from across Alaska (US) and adjacent Yukon
 (Canada) with 12 microsatellite loci (n = 501) and 4,222 single nucleotide
 polymorphisms (SNPs; n = 201) identified using restriction-site associated
 DNA sequencing. We compared the relative ability of our microsatellite and
 SNP datasets to evaluate population genetic structure, genetic diversity,
 differentiation, and isolation by distance (IBD). We predicted that the
 SNP dataset would detect a higher degree of genetic structure and provide
 more significant support for IBD. We found evidence for multiple genetic
 clusters, including genetic distinctiveness of wolverines in southeast
 Alaska and on the Kenai Peninsula. The SNP dataset detected additional
 genetic clusters which align largely with ecoregions, and the SNP dataset
 showed stronger evidence of IBD, while the 2 datasets were generally
 consistent in estimates of genetic diversity and differentiation among
 regional groups. Our results highlight the importance of genomic methods
 to assess gene flow in wolverines. Identifying population genetic
 structure allows an assessment of the potential impacts of conservation
 threats and is an important precursor for designing population monitoring
 programs.
description: Microsatellite genotyping and single nucleotide polymorphism
 (SNP) genotyping via restriction site associated DNA sequencing (RAD
 seq).
description: # Comparing microsatellites and single nucleotide polymorphisms to
 evaluate genetic structure and diversity in wolverines (*Gulo gulo*)
 across Alaska and western Canada
 [https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.crjdfn3dz](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.crjdfn3dz) ## Description of the data and file structure SNPs were discovered via restriction site-associated DNA sequencing. Sample location data contains sensitive trap line location information and can be requested with an added location buffer. UA Museum Samples Loaned: Excel file of University of Alaska Museum of the North tissue archive identification numbers and lab sample identification labels. Includes some individuals not successfully genotyped in microsatellite and/or SNP datasets. **Microsatellite data files:** gulo_msat_all_genotyped: CSV of all microsatellite genotypes for all individuals, missing data encoded as -1 gulo_msat_related_removed: CSV of microsatellite genotypes for all individuals with highly related individuals removed, missing data encoded as -1 msat_genotyped_related_removed: TXT of lab identification labels of related microsatellite genotyped individuals removed SNP data files: See github for RAD seq data processing code [https://github.com/elisestacy](https://github.com/elisestacy)  gulo_snp_all: VCF of SNP genotypes of unthinned loci, outlier loci not removed, and including all individuals gulo_snp_all_thinned: VCF of SNP genotypes of thinned loci, outlier loci not removed, and including all individuals gulo_snp_all_thinned_outliers_removed: VCF of SNP genotypes of thinned loci, outlier loci removed, and including all individuals gulo_snp_related_removed: VCF of SNP genotypes of thinned loci, outlier loci removed, and related individuals removed outliers_removed: TXT of SNP outlier loci removed snp_genotyped_related_removed: TXT of lab identification labels of SNP genotyped related individuals removed