The already-rare Stone’s sheep of the Yukon is 20 per cent less common than previously thought, according to new research by University of Alberta biologists.
The already-rare Stone’s sheep of the Yukon is 20 per cent less common than previously thought, according to new research by University of Alberta biologists.
Researchers examined 123 different DNA markers in approximately 2,800 thinhorn sheep in British Columbia and the Yukon, aiming to mapp population boundaries. Results show significant overestimation of certain subspecies of thinhorn sheep, like Stone’s sheep, due to misclassification.
“Population surveys, which are based on current maps, have been over-counting the number of Stone's sheep in Canada,” explained PhD student Zijian Sim, who conducted the research under the supervision of Professor David Coltman. “When correctly classified as Dall’s sheep, our results show that the rare subspecies is even rarer than we once thought, about 20 per cent less than previously thought.”
Part of the problem stems from wildlife management bodies that are bound by traditional political, cultural, and geographical criteria, which do not necessarily line up with biological population boundaries, he explained.
Continue reading at University of Alberta.
Image via University of Alberta.
