Unveiling population dynamics and diversity in two European brown bear (Ursus arctos) populations through non-invasive SNP genotyping

Unveiling population dynamics and diversity in two European brown bear (Ursus arctos) populations through non-invasive SNP genotyping | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Unveiling population dynamics and diversity in two European brown bear (Ursus arctos) populations through non-invasive SNP genotyping Natalia Sastre, Olga Francino, Anna Mercadé, David Cubero, Santiago Palazón, and 3 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-4330968/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Published Journal Publication published 06 Mar, 2025 Read the published version in Conservation Genetics → Version 1 posted 9 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Non-invasive genetic analysis allows for monitoring and understanding population dynamics without disturbing wild animals. We present a non-invasive genetic method to identify and characterize the Cantabrian and Pyrenean (of Slovenian origin) brown bear populations. We selected an efficient panel of 61 SNPs to genotype more than 2,000 non-invasive samples from both populations. Results showed successful genotyping of 1,639 bear samples, revealing 400 different individuals. Genetic diversity was similar in both populations and differentiation between populations was highly significant. The Pyrenean population did not show genetic substructuring despite the influence of the breeding male “Pyros”. In contrast, two subpopulations are observed in the Cantabrian population. Moreover, analysis indicated a sex ratio bias in the Cantabrian population, potentially influenced by male dispersal and landscape features. Overall, the study demonstrates the utility of non-invasive genetic methods for monitoring and understanding bear populations, highlighting differences between the Pyrenean and Cantabrian populations, and providing insights into their genetic diversity, structure and demographic trends. Brown bear Ursus arctos non-invasive samples SNPs genotyping Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Published Journal Publication published 06 Mar, 2025 Read the published version in Conservation Genetics → Version 1 posted Reviews received at journal 16 Sep, 2024 Reviewers agreed at journal 26 Aug, 2024 Reviewers agreed at journal 20 Jun, 2024 Reviews received at journal 27 May, 2024 Reviewers agreed at journal 06 May, 2024 Reviewers invited by journal 03 May, 2024 Submission checks completed at journal 03 May, 2024 Editor assigned by journal 03 May, 2024 First submitted to journal 26 Apr, 2024 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-4330968","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":300219600,"identity":"5f1ebef5-4662-468d-b1cd-5a3f478f163e","order_by":0,"name":"Natalia 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