Contemporary range expansion of the Virginia opossum (Didelphis virginiana) impacted by humans and snow cover

Abstract

Range expansions are key demographic events driven by factors such as climate change and human intervention that ultimately influence the genetic composition of peripheral populations. The expansion of the Virginia opossum (Didelphis virginiana Kerr, 1792) into Michigan has been documented over the past 200 years, indicating relatively new colonizations in northern Michigan. Although most contemporary expansions are a result of shifts in climate regimes, the opossum has spread beyond its hypothesized climate niche, offering an opportunity to examine the compounding influence that climate change and humans have on a species’ distribution. The genetic consequences of two range expansions were investigated using genotypic data for nine microsatellite markers from opossums collected in Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin, USA. Two genetic clusters were identified: one on either side of Lake Michigan. Using general linear models, we found that measurements of genetic diversity across 15 counties are best explained by days of snow on the ground. Next best models incorporate anthropogenic covariates including farm density. These models suggest that opossum expansion may be facilitated by agricultural land development and at the same time be limited by their inability to forage in snow.