Evolutionary and Conservation Genetics of Large Carnivores
A special issue of Diversity (ISSN 1424-2818). This special issue belongs to the section "Biodiversity Conservation".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (1 March 2022) | Viewed by 4412
Special Issue Editors
Interests: genetics; molecular biology; molecular ecology; population genetics; genomics; genetic variation
Interests: molecular ecology; population genetics; conservation genetics; biodiversity; conservation; evolution; ecology; citizen science; ecosystems; communities; populations; mammals; birds; fish; insects
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Large carnivores are a highly endangered group of species with special conservation challenges. In our time, most species of large carnivores have declined, both in numbers and in geographic distribution. Populations may have experienced extensive genetic bottlenecks during the last few centuries, and gene flow may be crucial for the successful genetic recovery of previously extirpated or isolated populations. In some geographical areas, large carnivores have demographically recovered, and populations are expanding with changes in gene flow and genetic differentiation across national borders. The role of large carnivores in ecosystem functions and the consequences of evolutionary history, range contractions, recovery, and rewilding may now be investigated with novel genetic and genomic methods.
This Special Issue invites research papers that will increase our understanding of the evolutionary and conservation genetic processes that characterize large carnivores and their important function in ecosystems. The Special Issue shall provide a space for advances in methods and novel genetic research on large carnivores.
Suitable topics include but are not limited to the following:
- Studies on population genetics, ecological genetics, evolutionary genetics, conservation genetics, landscape genetics, functional genetics, and molecular ecology in large carnivore species;
- Studies using genetics to study family relations, social structure, and sex-specific gene flow in large carnivores;
- Studies using genetic capture–mark–recapture methods to estimate population size in large carnivores;
- Studies in forensic genetics involving large carnivores;
- Studies illuminating the link between genetic and demographic processes, e.g., during population recovery, expansion, reintroduction;
- Studies illuminating the genetic effects of anthropogenic impacts, such as hunting and habitat destruction;
- Studies linking genetic diversity and ecosystem functioning of large carnivores;
- Reviews, opinion pieces, and meta-analyses summarizing current knowledge or identifying knowledge gaps and future directions;
- Integrating genetic and evolutionary concepts into large carnivore conservation, management, and policy making;
- Validation and harmonization of marker sets and data sharing.
Dr. Hans Geir Eiken
Dr. Snorre B. Hagen
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Diversity is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- large carnivores
- population genetics
- molecular ecology
- gene flow
- evolutionary genetics
- landscape genetics
