Moving to mate? Migration strategy does not predict genetic structure or diversity in bats (Chiroptera)

Abstract

How, when, and where animals move during mating periods directs gene-flow patterns across landscapes. Traits associated with movement, such as movement ability and migratory behaviour, are sometimes correlated with population genetic structure, but this relationship depends on where and when mating occurs relative to annual movements. With their wide diversity in behaviours and life-history strategies, bats provide a testing ground for hypotheses about population structure related to migration and mating. We used a global sample of microsatellite data (N = 233 sampling locations from 17 bat species) associated with published studies to examine links between genetic variation and short-distance, long-distance, or non-migratory strategies that also relate to varied mating strategies. The genetic measures we tested were population-specific differentiation, gene diversity, and allelic richness. Using Bayesian models that accounted for phylogenetic distances among species and spatial autocorrelation, we identified no correlations between migration strategy and genetic variation. Our results suggest that hypotheses about genetic structure being mediated by migration might not hold, in general, for bat species. We discuss the need for continued research into the complex association of ecological, biogeographical, and behavioural factors that facilitate gene flow among populations, especially in species with diverse movement patterns.