Depauperated gene pools in Marmota m. marmota are caused by an ancient bottle neck: electrophoretic analysis of wild populations from Austria and Switzerland

Abstract

Dry matter intake (DMI), and dry matter digestibility (DMD) were determined for three diets, using three desert bighorn sheep, Ovis canadensis mexicana. Bighorn sheep were placed in individual cages and fed three diets: high and low quality alfalfa, and Bermuda grass (Cynodon dactylon).Mean DMI of high quality alfalfa, low-quality alfalfa, and Bermuda grass was 1,281.3, 1,512.0, and 1,084.0 g/animal/day, respectively, with corresponding DMD's of 68.5, 64.1, and 57.7°/o. Dry matter digestibility was improved with increased crude protein and cell solubles, and with decreased neutral detergent fiber and hemicellulose. Mean digestibility energies for the high quality alfalfa, low quality alfalfa, and Bermuda grass were 642.6, 626.6, and 412.3 kJ/kg BW°-75 /day, respectively.

Alpine marmots in Austria. The present population structure as a result of the postglacial distribution history

“…Sampling procedures and characterization of the sampling areas have been described in Preleuthner and Pinsker (1993). The area codes used in the present study relate to this previous report.…”

“…Genetic studies based on the electrophoretic analysis of enzymes have revealed a remarkably low degree of variation in wild populations of the Alpine marmot Marmota m. marmota (Linnaeus, 1758) (Arnold 1990, Preleuthner andPinsker 1993). Although samples of the Alpine marmot from three different countries (Austria, Germany and Switzerland) have been included in these surveys, the pattern was nevertheless uniform.…”

“…This suggests that these polymorphisms might be balanced by selective forces (Preleuthner and Pinsker 1993). One possible factor influencing the fitness of marmots is the infestation by endoparasites.…”

Large-scale genotyping of highly polymorphic loci by next-generation sequencing: how to overcome the challenges to reliably genotype individuals?

“…Concerning MHC class II loci, between 7 and 38 alleles were found in 10 rodent species (Goüy de Bellocq et al, 2008), and 60 and 61 in two loci in Gray mouse lemur (Microcebus murinus; Huchard et al, 2012). In addition to poor MHC diversity, low levels of genetic variability in Alpine marmots have been previously found using allozymes (Arnold, 1990;Preleuthner and Pinsker, 1993), minisatellites (Arnold, 1990;Rassmann et al, 1994;Kruckenhauser et al, 1997) and microsatellites (Cohas et al, 2009, but see Goossens et al, 2001) and this in different populations spread across the whole Alpine arc. Alpine marmots were widespread in Europe until the early Holocene (Couturier, 1955;Besson, 1971).…”

“…Alpine marmots were widespread in Europe until the early Holocene (Couturier, 1955;Besson, 1971). However, several drastic reductions of their population size possibly due to the environmental variations (Preleuthner and Pinsker, 1993;Rassmann et al, 1994) occurred during the early Holocene and reduced the distribution of this species to the Alpine arc and the Carpathian Mountains, its actual natural distribution. Such a low observed genetic diversity found at several genetic markers (MHC, allozymes, minisatellites and microsatellites) can be the result of bottlenecks occurring during Holocene.…”