1,721,068 research outputs found
Influence of natural and artificial factors on the genetic integrity of the Sardinian wild boar
No full textTraces of past reintroduction in genetic diversity: The case of the Balkan chamois (Mammalia, Artiodactyla)
No full textThe translocation of wild animal species became a common practice worldwide to re-establish local populations threatened with extinction. Archaeological data confirm that chamois once lived in the Biokovo Mountain but, prior to their reintroduction in the 1960s, there was no written evidence of their recent existence in the area. The population was reintroduced in the period 1964–1969, when 48 individuals of Balkan chamois from the neighbouring mountains in Bosnia and Herzegovina were released. The main objective of this study was to determine the accuracy of the existing historical data on the origin of the Balkan chamois population from the Biokovo Mountain and to assess the genetic diversity and population structure of the source and translocated populations 56 years after reintroduction. Sixteen microsatellite loci were used to analyse the genetic structure of three source chamois populations from Prenj, Čvrsnica and Čabulja Mountains and from Biokovo Mountain. Both STRUCTURE and GENELAND analyses showed a clear separation of the reintroduced population on Biokovo from Prenj’s chamois and considerable genetic similarity between the Biokovo population and the Čvrsnica-Čabulja population. This suggests that the current genetic composition of the Biokovo population does not derive exclusively from Prenj, as suggested by the available literature and personal interviews, but also from Čvrsnica and Čabulja. GENELAND analysis recognised the Balkan chamois from Prenj as a separate cluster, distinct from the populations of Čvrsnica and Čabulja. Our results thus highlight the need to implement genetic monitoring of both reintroduced and source populations of endangered Balkan chamois to inform sustainable management and conservation strategies in order to maximise the chances of population persistence
Space use and genetic relatedness of a wild boar (Sus scrofa) population in a mediterranean environment
No full textDiversità genetica in popolazioni di cinghiale e problematiche relative all’identificazione e gestione degli ibridi cinghiale x maiale
No full textRewilding and conservation genomics: How developments in (re)colonization ecology and genomics can offer mutual benefits for understanding contemporary evolution
No full textA ‘rewilding’ process is occurring in Europe and beyond, centered on landscapes reverting from agricultural use to a more natural state. Wild species are arriving by natural or human-mediated range expansion, at times reclaiming ranges from which they were lost centuries ago. Recent colonizers include alien invasives and species expanding their historical distribution without direct human assistance. These events can deepen our understanding of contemporary evolution, including wildlife responses to changing climatic conditions. Rewilding can advance conservation genomics by encouraging study of wildlife in environments where these species represent novel arrivals or return after prolonged absences. Such efforts could facilitate more experimental approaches to research design than that typically feasible for landscape-scale ecological and evolutionary studies. Correspondingly, developments in conservation genomics offer unparalleled means for testing predictions about rewilding, and advancing evolutionary enlightened and proactive conservation planning. In this perspective article, we examine four European carnivore species relevant as case studies of (re)colonization and/or rewilding, and discuss examples of emerging research opportunities in genomics, evolutionary ecology, and human-wildlife relationships
Hybridisation in European ungulates: an overview of the current status, causes, and consequences
No full textHybridisation and gene introgression are important sources of diversification, the relevance of which in the evolutionary processes is well recognised. Their fitness consequences in animal populations, however, are not sufficiently well understood, despite hybridisation rates becoming increasingly important worldwide following human-related activities such as domestication, game management and habitat alteration. In Europe, the density and distribution of native ungulates have largely been influenced by humans since pre-historic times. This, alongside the introduction of non-native and domesticated species, may bear major consequences at the genetic and population levels. We provide an updated overview of recent hybridisation events in wild European ungulates; we describe their ecological drivers, extent, current distribution, potential consequences and proposed management strategies. We reviewed the scientific literature published between 2000 and 2018 and found that confirmed hybridisation was described in 75 of the 89 references we included, involving nearly all the species that we investigated. Most researchers relied on genetic information for hybrid identification, which often involved a domestic counterpart. However, introductions and translocations also led to crossbreeding between wild ungulate (sub)species. Only 43 papers provided management recommendations, mostly focused on preventing hybridisation and removing hybrids. Hybridisation proved to be relatively common in several ungulate taxa in Europe. Despite reported changes in phenotype and fitness-related traits in some species, the consequences of hybridisation for adaptation, life history, and evolutionary potential remain largely unknown. The current conservation paradigm aims to prevent the spread of domestic or non-native genes in native populations; accordingly, conservation plans should: 1) determine the genetic origin of possible source populations; 2) protect native populations from the risk of crossbreeding with non-native ones, and 3) establish permanent monitoring
Genetic population structure, landscape features and human perturbation in the Sardinian wild boar.
No full textMHC genotyping by sscp and amplicon‐based ngs approach in chamois
No full textGenes of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) code for cell surface proteins essential for adaptive immunity. They show the most outstanding genetic diversity in vertebrates, which has been connected with various fitness traits and thus with the long-term persistence of populations. In this study, polymorphism of the MHC class II DRB locus was investigated in chamois with Single-Strand Conformation Polymorphism (SSCP)/Sanger genotyping and Ion Torrent S5 next-generation sequencing (NGS). From eight identified DRB variants in 28 individuals, five had already been described, and three were new, undescribed alleles. With conventional SSCP/Sanger sequencing, we were able to detect seven alleles, all of which were also detected with NGS. We found inconsistencies in the individual genotypes between the two methods, which were mainly caused by allelic dropout in the SSCP/Sanger method. Six out of 28 individuals were falsely classified as homozygous with SSCP/Sanger analysis. Overall, 25% of the individuals were identified as genotyping discrepancies between the two methods. Our results show that NGS technologies are better performing in sequencing highly variable regions such as the MHC, and they also have a higher detection capacity, thus allowing a more accurate description of the genetic composition, which is crucial for evolutionary and population genetic studies
Natural and human factors affecting the genetic diversity of wild boar populations in Italy
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