Abstract
Habitat fragmentation and loss have contributed significantly to the demographic decline of European wildcat populations and hybridization with domestic cats poses a threat to the loss of ...genetic purity of the species. In this study we used microsatellite markers to analyse genetic variation and structure of the wildcat populations from the area between the Dinaric Alps and the Scardo-Pindic mountains in Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia and North Macedonia. We also investigated hybridisation between populations of wildcats and domestic cats in the area. One hundred and thirteen samples from free-leaving European wildcats and thirty-two samples from domestic cats were analysed. Allelic richness across populations ranged from 3.61 to 3.98. The observed Ho values ranged between 0.57 and 0.71. The global F
ST
value for the four populations was 0.080 (95% CI 0.056–0.109) and differed significantly from zero (
P
< 0.001). The highest F
ST
value was observed between the populations North Macedonia and Slovenia and the lowest between Slovenia and Croatia. We also found a signal for the existence of isolation by distance between populations. Our results showed that wildcats are divided in two genetic clusters largely consistent with a geographic division into a genetically diverse northern group (Slovenia, Croatia) and genetically eroded south-eastern group (Serbia, N. Macedonia). Hybridisation rate between wildcats and domestic cats varied between 13% and 52% across the regions.
During the early 1900s, Northern chamois (
Rupicapra rupicapra
) populations in the northern Dinaric Mountains were extirpated. During the 1960s and 1970s there were several reintroductions of ...individuals from two Northern chamois subspecies (Alpine chamois,
R. r. rupicapra
and Balkan chamois,
R. r. balcanica
) from neighbouring areas in the attempt to re-establish the population. Accurate taxonomic classification, at subspecies level, of the autochthonous extirpated population was not known. To clarify which subspecies was present before reintroduction, we genotyped four male chamois skulls originating from Velebit Mountain, collected around 25 years before the population local extinction. DNA was successfully extracted from middle layer and outer sheath of horns. Assignment based on microsatellite loci, using both Bayesian clustering in STRUCTURE (with q values between 0.55 and 0.73) and DAPC (with individual membership probabilities of 0.99 and 1.00) indicated higher assessed likelihood for the Alpine subspecies.
Populacije potočne pastrve i njihova morfološka različitost u potocima Samoborsko-žumberačkog gorja još nije istraživana. Stoga je cilj ovog rada bio utvrditi kondiciju, dužinsko masene odnose, ...morfometrijske i merističke značajke između pet populacija potočne pastrve. Analizirano je ukupno 70 primjeraka potočne pastrve. Najniži Fultonov kondicijski
faktor zabilježen je na potoku Kupčina, a najviši na potoku Slapnica. Negativan alometrijski rast jedinki zabilježen je jedino na potoku Gradna. Utvrđene su značajne statističke razlike za duljinu glave, širinu i visinu usta, visinu leđne i prsne peraje, broju mekih žbica u leđnoj peraji i broju piloričkih nastavaka između lokacija. Najveća sličnost jedinki potočne pastrve na temelju morfometrijskih i merističkih značajki uočena je između populacija potoka Slapnice i Rudarske Gradne. Identificirana statistički značajna morfometrijska svojstva ukazuju na genetsku varijabilnost između analiziranih uzoraka i mogućnost da je vršeno poribljavanje s linijama pastrva iz uzgoja, osobito na potocima Slapnica i Rudarska Gradna.Daljnja istraživanja trebaju biti usmjerena na molekularne analize kako bi se utvrdila prisutnost Atlantskih linija potočne pastrve (unesenih za potrebe uzgoja) i njihove potencijalne introgresije gena u domaću Dunavsku pastrvu, kako bi se predložile odgovarajuće mjere zaštite.
Brown trout is a salmonid fish with a natural range extending throughout western Eurasia and North Africa. Due to its commercial value, it has also been introduced worldwide. In continental Croatia, ...introduced trout of the Atlantic lineage hybridizes with native trout of the Danubian lineage, threatening the native genetic diversity. The geometric morphometrics approach was used in this study to analyse changes in shape between native trout, introduced trout and their hybrids, classified
a priori
by molecular phylogenetic analyses. A total of 19 landmarks and semi-landmarks were used to capture the shape of 92 trout individuals belonging to two lineages and their hybrids. Canonical variate analysis and discriminant function analysis were used to analyse and describe shape variation. A significant difference was found between the shape of the Atlantic lineage trout and both Danubian lineage trout and hybrids, with the most prominent differences in body depth, head length and eye size. No statistically significant shape differences were observed between Danubian lineage trout and the hybrids. The observed significant differences in shape could be the result of genetic diversity or trout phenotypic plasticity. Further studies are needed to clarify the origin of this variation in shape.
La truite brune est un poisson salmonidé dont l'aire de répartition naturelle s'étend à toute l'Eurasie occidentale et à l'Afrique du Nord. En raison de sa valeur commerciale, elle a également été introduite dans le monde entier. En Croatie continentale, la truite introduite de la lignée atlantique s'hybride avec la truite indigène de la lignée danubienne, menaçant la diversité génétique indigène. L'approche morphométrique géométrique a été utilisée dans cette étude pour analyser les changements de forme entre les truites indigènes, les truites introduites et leurs hybrides, classées a priori par des analyses phylogénétiques moléculaires. Un total de 19 points de repère et semi-points de repère ont été utilisés pour saisir la forme de 92 individus de truites appartenant à deux lignées et à leurs hybrides. L'analyse canonique des variables et l'analyse de la fonction discriminante ont été utilisées pour analyser et décrire la variation de forme. Une différence significative a été trouvée entre la forme de la truite de la lignée atlantique et celle de la truite de la lignée danubienne et de ses hybrides, les différences les plus importantes concernant la profondeur du corps, la longueur de la tête et la taille des yeux. Aucune différence de forme statistiquement significative n'a été observée entre les truites de la lignée danubienne et les hybrides. Les différences significatives de forme observées pourraient être le résultat de la diversité génétique ou de la plasticité phénotypique des truites. Des études supplémentaires sont nécessaires pour clarifier l'origine de cette variation de forme.
The 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.
At the beginning of the 20th century, the middle section of the Sava River in Croatia was unaffected by major human activities and rich in ichthyofauna. The Sava River was important for commercial ...and recreational fishing for the local population, which still remains today. However, the 1920s mining industry was established in Slovenia, which emitted carbon dust into the Sava River. At the same time, the construction of embankments to mitigate flooding started in the middle section. Furthermore, in the 1980s, the Krško nuclear power plant (NPP), and in the 2010s, the Krško hydropower plant (HPP) were built in Slovenia. These activities could have an impact on the composition of fish communities downstream from the major sources of disturbances. Therefore, the main aim of this paper were to analyze the changes in fish assemblages of the Sava River from 1978 to 2017, prior to and after the construction of Krško NPP and HPP at the Medsave site on the Sava River, 20 km downstream from the major construction operations. Collected data were divided into four sampling periods (SP): SP1, from 1978 to 1980; SP2, from 1991 to 1994; SP3, from 2001 to 2006, and SP4 from 2011 to 2017. Besides alien fish species, water quality and hydromorphological modifications were identified as significant stressors. In SP1 and SP2 limnophilic and eurytopic fish groups were predominant, and 26 different fish species were identified, but in SP3 and SP4 rheophilic fish groups become dominant, and the diversity has declined to 21 species. Threatened species blageon, Telestes souffia seems to be missing from the main course of the Sava River in last 20 years. It can be concluded that disturbances in the fish assemblage pattern have coincided with the presence of multiple stressors of human origin.
Display omitted
•Variations in fish assemblages of the Sava River from 1978 to 2017 were analyzed.•Limnophilic and eurytopic types of fish group were predominant from 1978 to 1980.•Four alien fish species recorded 1978–1991, of which three remained until today.•Changes in species composition and decline in diversity has been noted after 2001.•Threatened Telestes souffia appears to be missing from the Medsave site.
Abstract
Major histocompatibility complex (MHC) genes are commonly used markers for monitoring adaptive genetic and evolutionary potential of species. In this study, we investigated genetic variation ...of the MHC class II DRB locus in the chamois genus Rupicapra by using next-generation sequencing. Sequencing of 102 samples led to the identification of 25 alleles, 11 of which are novel. The high ratio of the relative rates of nonsynonymous to synonymous mutations (dN/dS) suggests a signal of positive selection on this locus. We analyzed patterns of genetic variation within and among 2 subspecies of Northern Chamois and compared them to previously published studies using neutral markers to provide a basis for assessing the effects of demographic processes. Our analyses have shown that alleles are likely to be maintained by balancing selection in different populations with similar frequencies and that this mechanism also works in small, isolated populations that are strongly affected by genetic drift.
In this study on the chamois genus Rupicapra, researchers explored genetic variation of the MHC class II DRB locus using next-generation sequencing. The research highlights a strong signal of positive selection at this locus, indicated by the high dN/dS ratio. The study also revealed that balancing selection maintains alleles across different chamois populations, including those that are small and isolated, emphasizing the evolutionary significance of this genetic mechanism.
The Balkan chamois (
Rupicapra rupicapra balcanica
) is widespread on the Balkan Peninsula, along mountain massifs from Croatia in the north to Greece in the south and Bulgaria in the east. Knowledge ...on the genetic structure of Balkan chamois populations is limited and restricted to local studies. Therefore, the main objective of this study was to use nuclear (16 microsatellites) and mitochondrial (partial 376 base pairs control region) markers to investigate the genetic structure of this chamois subspecies throughout its distribution range and to obtain information on the degree of connectivity of the different (sub)populations. We extracted DNA from bone, dried skin and muscle tissue and successfully genotyped 92 individuals of Balkan chamois and sequenced the partial control region in 44 individuals. The Bayesian analysis suggested 3 genetic clusters and assigned individuals from Serbia and Bulgaria to two separate clusters, while individuals from the other countries belonged to the same cluster. Thirty new haplotypes were obtained from partial mitochondrial DNA sequences, with private haplotypes in all analyzed populations and only two haplotypes shared among populations, indicating the possibility of past translocations. The subspecies genetic composition presented here provides the necessary starting point to assess the conservation status of the Balkan chamois and allows the development of conservation strategies necessary for its sustainable management and conservation.
The aim of this study was to determine the seasonal activity patterns and asynchrony between different antler stages in male axis deer from the Mediterranean island of Rab in Croatia using camera ...traps. Nine cameras with an infrared motion detection system were used to track animal activity over a 12-month period, 24 h per day. Stags were divided into two categories of antler development: regeneration stage and hard antler stage. The frequency of detection of each category in the photographs allowed us to investigate seasonal activity patterns. To describe the seasonal activity pattern in each category, we fitted the segmented linear regression and predicted that the ratio of monthly activity of stags in the two antler categories would interchange regularly during the research period. Over the 12-month study period, 36 862 photographs were analysed. A significant difference in frequency was found between the two antler categories (p < 0.01), with a consistently greater presence of hard-antlered stags. The highest frequency of detection of both antler categories was found in the winter season, and the lowest in spring. The segmented linear regression clearly distinguished three break points in April, June and December in the hard antler stage, with a significant difference in activity pattern among the months for each slope. On the other hand, no significant difference was found for the regeneration stage. Therefore, the expected proportional interchange in the number of stags in the two antler stages throughout the year did not occur. This study revealed that the Mediterranean axis deer population showed a unique activity pattern, where antler stage may act as a possible driver regulating stag movements.
Geometric morphometrics analyses are now often used to examine morphological variation in carnivore skull. Differences in golden jackal skull shape and size due to sexual dimorphism were examined ...using two dimensional geometric morphometrics approach. A total of 21 landmarks described the dorsal side of the skull and lateral side of the mandible. Individual variation in skull and mandible morphology was statistically significant for the shape (p<0.01). Sexual dimorphism as main effect was highly significant for the dorsal skull shape and the mandible shape and size (p<0.01). The comparison of mandible mean shapes using discriminant function analysis and parametric test did not reveal significant differences between the sexes, while dorsal mean skull shape was statistically significant (p<0.05).The shape comparison between males and females using permutation tests with procrustes distance yielded with significant results for both skull and mandible shape. Further studies are required with increased sample size and number of landmarks so as to obtain a more accurate expression of form and better differentiation between the sexes.
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