Eurasian lynx (
Lynx lynx
) reintroduction to the Dinaric Mountains is considered one of the most successful reintroductions of a large predator. Six reintroduced animals founded the population, ...which rapidly expanded from Slovenia, through Croatia, and all the way to Bosnia and Herzegovina. However, a decrease of the population size has been observed during the last 10–15 years. Considering that possible inbreeding depression would be additive to threats like poaching, traffic mortality and prey base depletion, another extinction of this species from the Dinaric Mountains is a real possibility. We analyzed 204 samples collected between 1979 and 2010 using twenty microsatellite loci and 900-bp mitochondrial DNA control region sequence to evaluate conservation genetics aspects of this endangered population. Both markers confirmed low genetic variability of the Dinaric lynx population, and considerable effective inbreeding (0.3) compared to the source Carpathian population. Our analysis of effective population size and microsatellite variability supported field observations of decreasing population number. As a natural recolonization is a very remote possibility, we recommend population augmentation from a large source population.
Historical samples, like tanned hides and trophy skulls, can be extremely important for genetic studies of endangered or elusive species. Selection of a sampling protocol that is likely to provide ...sufficient amount and quality of DNA with a minimum damage to the original specimen is often critical for a success of the study. We investigated microsatellite genotyping success of DNA isolated from three different types of Eurasian lynx historical samples. We analysed a total of 20 microsatellite loci in 106 historical samples from the endangered Dinaric lynx population, established from re‐introduction of three pairs of lynx in 1973 from Slovakian Carpathians. Of the three tested sample types, turbinal bone and septum from the nasal cavity of the trophy skulls had the lowest percentage of samples successfully genotyped for all 20 microsatellite loci. Footpad samples, collected using a cork drill, exhibited better results in polymerase chain reaction amplification and genotyping than samples of footpad epidermis cut with a scalpel. We report simple and efficient sampling protocols, which could be widely applied for future studies utilizing historical samples.
Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) control region (CR) of numerous species is known to include up to five different repetitive sequences (RS1-RS5) that are found at various locations, involving motifs of ...different length and extensive length heteroplasmy. Two repetitive sequences (RS2 and RS3) on opposite sides of mtDNA central conserved region have been described in domestic cat (Felis catus) and some other felid species. However, the presence of repetitive sequence RS3 has not been detected in Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) yet. We analyzed mtDNA CR of 35 Eurasian lynx (L. lynx L.) samples to characterize repetitive sequences and to compare them with those found in other felid species. We confirmed the presence of 80 base pairs (bp) repetitive sequence (RS2) at the 5′ end of the Eurasian lynx mtDNA CR L strand and for the first time we described RS3 repetitive sequence at its 3′ end, consisting of an array of tandem repeats five to ten bp long. We found that felid species share similar RS3 repetitive pattern and fundamental repeat motif TACAC.
Genetski markeri omogućuju nam uvid u srodstvene odnose divljih životinja kod kojih je takve podatke gotovo nemoguće prikupiti izravnim promatranjem. Podaci o srodstvenim odnosima neophodni su za ...analize reproduktivne uspješnosti, parenja u srodstvu, selekcije i protoka gena. Dinarska populacija euroazijskog risa (Lynx lynx) uključuje risove u Sloveniji, Hrvatskoj te Bosni i Hercegovini. Vrsta je zakonom zaštićena u sve tri zemlje, te populaciju ugrožavaju nedostatak genske raznolikosti i krivolov. Analizom srodnosti 91 genotipa, na 19 mikrosatelitskih lokusa, dinarske populacije risa dobili smo podatke o obiteljskim skupinama u kojima potomci dijele jednog ili oba roditelja. Ukupno 21 od 29 analiziranih potomaka (72%) čiji su uzorci prikupljeni u razdoblju od 2000 do 2010. g. međusobno su povezani srodstvenim odnosima, potvrđujući nisku brojnost populacije i prisutnost parenja u srodstvu.
