Higher impact of female than male migration on population structure in large mammals

We simulated large mammal populations using an individual-based stochastic model under various sex-specific migration schemes and life history paramet ers from the blue whale and the Asian elephant. Our model predicts that gen etic structure at nuclear loci is significantly more influenced by female t han by male migration. We identified requisite comigration of mother and of fspring during gravidity and lactation as the primary cause of this phenome non. In addition, our model predicts that the common assumption that geogra phical patterns of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) could be translated into femal e migration rates (Nm(f)) will cause biased estimates of maternal gene now when extensive male migration occurs and male mtDNA haplotypes are included in the analysis.