CR Biologies

Jeannine McManus

Bool Smuts

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C. R. Biologies 339 (2016) 378–379
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16enetics / Génétique
ow microsatellites used to investigate leopard genetic
ructure severely restricts the results by Ropiquet et al.
015) to infer population structure for managers
annine McManus a,b,*, Bool Smuts b
chool of Animal, Plants and Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Private Bag 3, 2050 Johannesburg, South Africa
esearch department, Landmark Foundation, PO Box 22, 6677 Riversdale, South Africa
The statistical power of microsatellites is reduced as
wer loci are used and the use of insufficient data when
alysing for population structure can have severely
isleading results [1–3]. The use of only eight microsatel-
e markers to report on the contemporary genetic
ucture strongly limits the statistical accuracy and
lidity of the results by Ropiquet et al. (2015) and
erefore restricts firm conclusion from results [3]. This is a
ver caveat to this study, yet the authors did not report on
hy so few microsatellites were used, nor is there a note
 the likely inaccuracy of their findings as a result.
The use of so few microsatellites is likely the
mpounding factor explaining the large discrepancy in
pulation estimates (K) from GENELAND (K = 8 to 20),
hile STRUCTURE software was as low as K = 2. This
plies poor statistical power, yet the researchers firmly
nclude ‘‘Both GENELAND and the multivariate analysis
ggested the dataset comprises a single gene pool’’ [4]. In
addition, Ropiquet et al.’s [4] own Principle Contribution
Analyses (PCA) results suggest moderate substructuring
resulting in what appears to be five groups, rejecting their
firm conclusion that leopards in southern Africa ‘‘comprise
a single gene pool’’ [4]. Furthermore, nowhere in text is the
polymorphic content of the markers or allele frequencies
reported nor is there any explanation as to why this was
not reported on. These are central to describing genetic
structure [5] and without these data the statement of one
gene pool cannot be supported. The divergences of
population structure and PCA results at very least require
some discussion regarding how this impairs the use of
their results and that these results should rather be used to
point out the importance of further research as opposed to
inform rigid conservation management.
Notably, considering the very low quantity of peer-
reviewed studies available on the genetic structure of
leopard in southern Africa using either mtDNA [6] or
nuclear DNA [7], no research comparisons were made to
existing research. This is concerning as accurate, objective,
responsible and useful research should consider available
support, or alternative findings require discussions re-
garding why there may be departures from other studies
findings. This is important in order to improve science.
R T I C L E I N F O
icle history:
ceived 26 February 2016
cepted after revision 2 March 2016
ailable online 20 August 2016
yword:
sponse
A B S T R A C T
Low microsatellites used to investigate leopard genetic structure severely restricts the
results by Ropiquet et al. (2015) to infer population structure for managers.
 2016 Published by Elsevier Masson SAS on behalf of Académie des sciences.
Corresponding author. School of Animal, Plants and Environmental
ences, University of the Witwatersrand, Private Bag 3, 2050 Johannes-
rg, South Africa.
E-mail address: jeannine@landmarkfoundation.org.za (J. McManus).
Contents lists available at ScienceDirect
Comptes Rendus Biologies
w ww.s c ien ced i rec t . c o m
p://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.crvi.2016.03.00531-0691/ 2016 Published by Elsevier Masson SAS on behalf of Académie des sciences.
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J. McManus, B. Smuts / C. R. Biologies 339 (2016) 378–379 379In summary, the use of only eight microsatellites, and
e large differences between population estimates does
ot support Ropiquet et al. [4] claims for one genepool for
opards in Southern Africa. When such low statistical
ower is used and large variations in results occur, it is not
ossible to make a convincing case to infer population
tructure. The variation obtained from just eight markers is
ost likely a confounding factor, and no reliable statistical
eductions should be made from data obtained from such a
mall set of short tandem repeat (STR) markers. Managers
hould therefore refrain from relying on the findings from
is paper that the leopard population is a single genepool,
s the results are not able to support such claims. It is
eeply concerning that poor data is adopted with such
idged claims within peer-reviewed science.
References
[1] L. Zane, L. Bargelloni, T. Patarnello, Strategies for microsatellite isolation:
a review, Mol. Ecol. 11 (1) (2002) 1–16.
[2] Q.H. Wan, et al., Which genetic marker for which conservation genetics
issue? Electrophoresis 25 (14) (2004) 2165–2176.
[3] M.J. Hubisz, et al., Inferring weak population structure with the assis-
tance of sample group information, Mol. Ecol. Resour. 9 (5) (2009)
1322–1332.
[4] A. Ropiquet, et al., Implications of spatial genetic patterns for conserving
African leopards, C. R. Biologies 338 (11) (2015) 728–737.
[5] F. Balloux, The estimation of population differentiation with microsat-
ellite markers. Lugon-Moulin N, Mol. Ecol. 11 (2) (2002) 155–165.
[6] L. Tensen, D. Roelofs, L.H. Swanepoel, A note on the population structure
of leopards (Panthera pardus) in South Africa, S. Afr. J. Wildl. Res. 44 (2)
(2011) 193–197.
[7] J.S. McManus, et al., Gene flow and population structure of a solitary top
carnivore in a human-dominated landscape, Ecol. Evol. 5 (2) (2015)
335–344.


Low microsatellites used to investigate leopard genetic structure severely restricts the results by Ropiquet et al. (2015) to infer population structure for managers

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