College of Forestry and Conservation, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812, USA.
Mol Ecol. 2010 Oct;19(20):4383-5. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-294X.2010.04770.x.
Probably no conservation genetics issue is currently more controversial than the question of whether grey wolves (Canis lupus) in the Northern Rockies have recovered to genetically effective levels. Following the dispersal-based recolonization of Northwestern Montana from Canada, and reintroductions to Yellowstone and Central Idaho, wolves have vastly exceeded population recovery goals of 300 wolves distributed in at least 10 breeding pairs in each of Wyoming, Idaho and Montana. With >1700 wolves currently, efforts to delist wolves from endangered status have become mired in legal battles over the distinct population segment (DPS) clause of the Endangered Species Act (ESA), and whether subpopulations within the DPS were genetically isolated. An earlier study by vonHoldt et al. (2008) suggested Yellowstone National Park wolves were indeed isolated and was used against delisting in 2008. Since then, wolves were temporarily delisted, and a first controversial hunting season occurred in fall of 2009. Yet, concerns over the genetic recovery of wolves in the Northern Rockies remain, and upcoming District court rulings in the summer of 2010 will probably include consideration of gene flow between subpopulations. In this issue of Molecular Ecology, vonHoldt et al. (2010) conduct the largest analysis of gene flow and population structure of the Northern Rockies wolves to date. Using an impressive sampling design and novel analytic methods, vonHoldt et al. (2010) show substantial levels of gene flow between three identified subpopulations of wolves within the Northern Rockies, clarifying previous analyses and convincingly showing genetic recovery.
可能没有任何保护遗传学问题比北落基山脉灰狼（Canis lupus）是否已经恢复到遗传有效水平这一问题更具争议性。在从加拿大分散到蒙大拿州西北部重新定居，以及在黄石公园和爱达荷州中部重新引入之后，狼的数量大大超过了 300 只狼分布在怀俄明州、爱达荷州和蒙大拿州至少 10 个繁殖对的种群恢复目标。目前有超过 1700 只狼，将狼从濒危物种名单中除名的努力在濒危物种法案（ESA）的独特种群片段（DPS）条款以及 DPS 内的亚种群是否在遗传上隔离的法律斗争中陷入困境。vonHoldt 等人的早期研究。（2008 年）表明，黄石国家公园的狼确实被隔离，并在 2008 年被用于反对除名。从那时起，狼被暂时除名，并在 2009 年秋季举行了第一次有争议的狩猎季节。然而，对北落基山脉狼的遗传恢复的担忧仍然存在，2010 年夏季即将进行的地区法院裁决可能包括考虑亚种群之间的基因流动。在本期《分子生态学》中，vonHoldt 等人。（2010 年）对北落基山脉狼的基因流动和种群结构进行了迄今为止最大规模的分析。使用令人印象深刻的采样设计和新颖的分析方法，vonHoldt 等人。（2010 年）显示了北落基山脉三个已确定的狼群之间存在大量的基因流动，澄清了以前的分析，并令人信服地表明了遗传恢复。
