ABSTRACT
Abstract. The Lesser Prairie-Chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus) is one of three species of prairie grouse in genus Tympanuchus in subfamily Tetraoninae. The prairie grouse experienced range expansion and divergence dating to climatic and habitat shifts that occurred during the Pleistocene glaciations. Ecological niche modeling suggests that repeated episodes of range shifts, expansion, and contraction during the late Pleistocene probably led to periods of population isolation followed by secondary contact and opportunities for hybridization. Taxonomic placement within the genus has been complicated because the species are of recent origin and lineage sorting is incomplete. Despite the low taxonomic resolution afforded by neutral mitochondrial DNA sequence data, the Lesser Prairie-Chickens, Greater Prairie-Chickens (T. cupido), and Sharp-tailed Grouse (T. phasianellus) display diagnostic morphological and behavioral differentiation attributed to sexual selection associated with their lek mating system. Prairie grouse have declined in abundance and geographic range during the past century due to changes in land use practices that have resulted in the fragmentation and loss of native prairie habitat. Population declines have been most severe for Lesser and
Greater Prairie-Chickens, which occupy <15% of their historical range. Unlike populations of Greater Prairie-Chickens, however, most extant populations of Lesser Prairie-Chickens have retained relatively high levels of neutral genetic diversity, though peripheral and isolated sites display increased genetic differentiation or evidence of reduced connectivity among sites. If current trends continue, populations will become increasingly fragmented and isolated, begin to lose genetic diversity, and become increasingly susceptible to stochastic events; similar events have already occurred in relict populations of Greater PrairieChickens (T. c. pinnatus) in Wisconsin and Illinois, the Attwater’s Prairie-Chicken (T. c. attwateri) in Texas, and the now extinct Heath Hen (T. c. cupido). The fate of all prairie grouse is intimately tied to habitat. Preservation and restoration of habitat, including dispersal corridors, will be critical to maintain a sufficiently large effective population size to ensure the long-term persistence of these grassland specialists.
