A population genetic analysis of migration: the case of the noctule bat (Nyctalus noctula)

Although rarely assessed, the population genetics of hibernating colonies c an help to understand some aspects of population structure, even when sampl es from nursery or mating colonies are not available, or in studies of migr ation when both types of samples are available and can be compared. Here we illustrate both points in a survey of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) control re gion sequences used to study the population genetics of hibernating colonie s of a migrating species, the noctule bat (Nyctalus noctula). Lacking sampl es from Scandinavian nursery colonies, we use a North European hibernacula to suggest that Scandinavian populations are isolated from Central and East European colonies. Then, we compare genetic diversities of nursery and hib ernating colonies. We find a significantly higher haplotype diversity in hi bernacula, confirming that they consist of individuals from different nurse ry colonies. Finally, we show that pairwise comparisons of the haplotype fr equencies of nursery and hibernating colonies contain some information on t he migration direction of the noctule bat.