Range-wide phylogeography of the golden jackals (Canis aureus) reveals multiple sources of recent spatial expansion and admixture with dogs at the expansion front

Abstract

The current rapid climate change and human-induced alteration of landscapes and animal communities have led to range expansions in numerous species, raising concerns about potential negative impacts on genetic diversity, biotic interactions and hybridization with related species in newly colonized areas, and the need to adjust management plans. The recent explosive range expansion of golden jackals in Europe, now extending to the Arctic Circle, provides an opportunity to assess the consequences of this process at a broad geographical scale. We analysed the genome-wide diversity of golden jackals from nearly the entire species range, including recently colonized areas. Grey wolves and free-ranging dogs sympatric with golden jackals were also analysed to test for introgression among these canids. Our results showed that golden jackals expanded from Asia to south-eastern Europe at the end of the Pleistocene, while in more recent times they naturally broadened their range in central and northern Europe from at least two distinct southern populations. At the northern edge of the range and in the recently expanded area, golden jackals showed evidence of admixture with dogs. Further monitoring of introgression rates and phenotypic effects of this process is crucial to ensure they do not facilitate the synurbization process. No reduction in genetic diversity was observed at the expansion front, most likely due to complex expansion routes, involving multiple waves and source populations, and introgression of genetic variants from dogs. We propose the development of management and legal plans that focus on transboundary cooperation considering the observed genetic diversity and structuring.