1,721,191 research outputs found
Individual sexing and genotyping from blood spots on the snow: a reliable source of DNA for non-invasive genetic surveys
No full textNon-invasive genotyping is an effective tool to study natural populations of elusive and endangered carnivores. This study demonstrates the usefulness of blood spots collected on the snow as source of DNA for individual sexing and genotyping. Thirty-seven samples, collected during snow-tracking of wild wolves (Canis lupus), were analysed by a set of 10 canine microsatellites and tested for sex. From 26 fully amplifiable DNA samples, 16 different wolf multilocus genotypes were obtained. A low (1%) genotyping error rate was detected. Body wounds and vaginal blood seepage of she-wolves in proestrus may account for the origin of such samples. As consequence, sex of genotyped individuals is biased in favour of females. Advantages and drawbacks associated to the their collection and analysis are discussed. Their lower frequency along trails in snow respect to other samples is balanced by the higher reliability of their analysis. The collection and analysis of such blood samples during non-invasive winter surveys of endangered carnivores is therefore recommended
Adozione o parassitismo? Successo riproduttivo e cure parentali in una specie di ciclidi africani (Lamprologus ocellatus)
No full textNext of kin next door – philopatry and socio-genetic population structure in wild boar
No full textDispersal patterns can have vital consequences for the transfer of genes in a
population, thus shaping its genetic make-up and structure. Genetic relationships
between individuals can, in turn, affect their social behaviour and the emergent
social organization of the population. Using combination of behavioural and
genetic data from the wild boar Sus scrofa population in Białowiez ̇a Primeval
Forest (eastern Poland), we evaluated the socio-genetic structure of wild boar
groups, the spatial genetic structure of the population and dispersal patterns. We
found that wild boar post-weaning movements were largely spatially limited to the
vicinity of maternal range, with female boars showing a tendency to settle in the
direct neighbourhood of the kin and male boars dispersing further away from the
natal area. Consequently, such dispersal patterns were reflected in the kin-based
social organization and the spatial genetic structure of the population, which was
manifested at a spatial scale corresponding to the size of a few home ranges
(<5 km). A negative relationship between geographic distance and genetic relatedness,
which was particularly strong in female boars, indicated a presence of local
kin clusters dominated by female boars and the importance of female philopatry
in shaping the structure of wild boar population. This was confirmed by the
genetic profile and composition of social groups. This study showed the role
dispersal decisions can play in the emergence of the kin-based and matrilineal
social system of wild boars
Occurrence of black wolves in the Northern Apennines, Italy
No full textThe occurrence of black-coated individuals in wolf populations is not surprising in itself, but their presence in populations recovering from severe numerical decline has been considered a possible sign of crossbreeding with the domestic dog. In the northern Apennines (Italy), black wolves occur at a non-negligible frequency. In a 3300 km2 area, 22% of wolves observed and 23% of all dead wolves found were represented by animals with a completely black coat. One ‘black’ wolf belonging to the studied population was analysed by a set of microsatellites loci, and no trace of hybridization was found in its ancestry. This result induced us to consider the occurrence of a black phenotype in this area possibly derived from a natural combination of wolf alleles in coat colour determining genes, and not necessarily as the result of crossbreeding with the domestic form
Studio preliminare sull'analisi del DNA nucleare estratto da escrementi di lupo mediante amplificazione di regioni microsatelliti
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