This study suggests that wolverine populations in Idaho, western Montana, and northwestern Wyoming are isolated from larger and more contiguous wolverine populations in Alaska and Canada. This apparent isolation may make these southern populations more vulnerable to overtrapping and other threats. This study provides additional evidence to support conclusions by Kyle and Strobeck (2001).

Excerpt from the Abstract (p. 14)
"A Bayesian clustering analysis suggested that there were three distinct subpopulations in Montana: Rocky Mountains Front (RMF), Crazybelts (CB), and Gallatin (GA). Restricted levels of gene flow were measured among these subpopulations for both mitochondrial and nuclear DNA… The Idaho subpopulation had the lowest levels of mitochondrial and nuclear genetic diversity, and was more genetically isolated than the other subpopulations. Based upon these data, I suggest the designation of three separate management units: Idaho, Crazybelts, and the Rocky Mountains Front/ Gallatin/ Wyoming units. The subpopulations in the conterminous United States have lower levels of gene flow and are much more fragmented than Northern populations in Alaska and Canada. Corridors for movement should be established among the fragmented subpopulations and may be incorporated into a large carnivore conservation strategy."