Genetic diversity and structuring of the grey wolf population from the Central Balkans based on mitochondrial DNA variation

Djan, Mihajla; Maletić, Vladimir; Trbojević́, Igor; Popović, Dunja; Veličković, Nevena; Burazerović, Jelena; Ćirović, Duško

doi:10.1016/j.mambio.2014.03.001

Cited by 18 publications

(19 citation statements)

References 24 publications

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“…aureus is uniform in regard to control-region polymorphisms, as suggested by earlier studies [ 51 , 52 ]. Hence, despite the discovery of additional haplotypes, the genetic diversity in the mitochondrial control region in Europe’s golden jackals should be regarded as low when compared with that in other canids [ 102 , 106 , 107 ]. However, further sampling will probably result in the detection of new polymorphisms in mtDNA of the golden jackal as a species, as the haplotype found in Indian jackals (denoted as H6 in Fig 5 ) differs by 4–6 substitutions from the haplotypes identified in the present study.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A European Concern? Genetic Structure and Expansion of Golden Jackals (Canis aureus) in Europe and the Caucasus

et al. 2015

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In the first continent-wide study of the golden jackal (Canis aureus), we characterised its population genetic structure and attempted to identify the origin of European populations. This provided a unique insight into genetic characteristics of a native carnivore population with rapid large-scale expansion. We analysed 15 microsatellite markers and a 406 base-pair fragment of the mitochondrial control region. Bayesian-based and principal components methods were applied to evaluate whether the geographical grouping of samples corresponded with genetic groups. Our analysis revealed low levels of genetic diversity, reflecting the unique history of the golden jackal among Europe’s native carnivores. The results suggest ongoing gene flow between south-eastern Europe and the Caucasus, with both contributing to the Baltic population, which appeared only recently. The population from the Peloponnese Peninsula in southern Greece forms a common genetic cluster with samples from south-eastern Europe (ΔK approach in STRUCTURE, Principal Components Analysis [PCA]), although the results based on BAPS and the estimated likelihood in STRUCTURE indicate that Peloponnesian jackals may represent a distinct population. Moreover, analyses of population structure also suggest either genetic distinctiveness of the island population from Samos near the coast of Asia Minor (BAPS, most STRUCTURE, PCA), or possibly its connection with the Caucasus population (one analysis in STRUCTURE). We speculate from our results that ancient Mediterranean jackal populations have persisted to the present day, and have merged with jackals colonising from Asia. These data also suggest that new populations of the golden jackal may be founded by long-distance dispersal, and thus should not be treated as an invasive alien species, i.e. an organism that is “non-native to an ecosystem, and which may cause economic or environmental harm or adversely affect human health”. These insights into the genetic structure and ancestry of Baltic jackals have important implications for management and conservation of jackals in Europe. The golden jackal is listed as an Annex V species in the EU Habitats Directive and as such, considering also the results presented here, should be legally protected in all EU member states.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A European Concern? Genetic Structure and Expansion of Golden Jackals (Canis aureus) in Europe and the Caucasus

et al. 2015

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“…Compared with other European populations, wolves in the Dinaric‐Balkan population exhibit higher mtDNA control region variability, and the population probably retains a significant proportion of the genetic diversity present in the formerly widespread and continuous European wolf population, as suggested from studies involving Bulgarian (Randi et al., ; Moura et al., ; Pilot et al., ), Croatian (Gomerčić et al., ; Fabbri et al., ), and other populations in the Balkans (Pilot et al., ; Djan et al., ).…”

Section: Genetic Patterns Of European Wolf Populations Revealed By DImentioning

confidence: 91%

Wolf population genetics in Europe: a systematic review, meta‐analysis and suggestions for conservation and management

et al. 2016

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The grey wolf (Canis lupus) is an iconic large carnivore that has increasingly been recognized as an apex predator with intrinsic value and a keystone species. However, wolves have also long represented a primary source of human-carnivore conflict, which has led to long-term persecution of wolves, resulting in a significant decrease in their numbers, genetic diversity and gene flow between populations. For more effective protection and management of wolf populations in Europe, robust scientific evidence is crucial. This review serves as an analytical summary of the main findings from wolf population genetic studies in Europe, covering major studies from the 'pre-genomic era' and the first insights of the 'genomics era'. We analyse, summarize and discuss findings derived from analyses of three compartments of the mammalian genome with different inheritance modes: maternal (mitochondrial DNA), paternal (Y chromosome) and biparental [autosomal microsatellites and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs)]. To describe large-scale trends and patterns of genetic variation in European wolf populations, we conducted a meta-analysis based on the results of previous microsatellite studies and also included new data, covering all 19 European countries for which wolf genetic information is available: Norway, Sweden, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Germany, Belarus, Russia, Italy, Croatia, Bulgaria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Greece, Spain and Portugal. We compared different indices of genetic diversity in wolf populations and found a significant spatial trend in heterozygosity across Europe from south-west (lowest genetic diversity) to north-east (highest). The range of spatial autocorrelation calculated on the basis of three characteristics of genetic diversity was 650-850 km, suggesting that the genetic diversity of a given wolf population can be influenced by populations up to 850 km away. As an important outcome of this synthesis, we discuss the most pressing issues threatening wolf populations in Europe, highlight important gaps in current knowledge, suggest solutions to overcome these limitations, and provide recommendations for science-based wolf conservation and management at regional and Europe-wide scales.

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“…Wolves in Serbia belong to the large Dinaric-Balkan population, which represents the border between the Eastern and the Western European wolf populations (Djan et al 2014). Legal status of the grey wolf in Serbia is controversial since it is listed as a game species by the Game and Hunting Law and is legally hunted throughout the year in most areas of the country.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Review of genetic monitoring programs of wildlife species in Serbia

Matić¹,

Gorše²,

Stefanović³

et al. 2020

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Genetic monitoring, as one of the main aspects in long-term population monitoring, has a crucial role in establishing an effective management strategy and biological conservation of wildlife. Determination and monitoring of genetic variability as well as identification of management units, represents the best estimator of natural population potential for adaptation and survival. Here we present a comparative overview of data obtained through genetic monitoring of three wildlife species in Serbia - brown hares, wild boars and grey wolves. First determination of genetic variability in brown hares from Serbia recommended an optimal three-year monitoring period for this species and continual genetic monitoring has revealed maintenance of moderate genetic diversity over a twenty-year period. Furthermore, it is suggested that future genetic monitoring should encompass more informative molecular markers, such as those linked to adaptive traits. Microsatellite molecular markers have provided much of the required information about the wild boar population. The wild boar is one of the most important game species and is crucial to estimate adequate management measures in order to preserve genetic variability, but also, to prevent possible territorial expansion of the species. Panel of 18 microsatellite loci proved to be very informative when it comes to the grey wolf population. Serbian wolf population is relatively stable for now, but it is very important to maintain appropriate genetic monitoring to preserve this valuable reservoir of genetic variability. The results, obtained through genetic monitoring of these three species in Serbia, support integration of genetic information with other traditional methods for hunting management strategy in order to provide a long-term sustainability.

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Genetic diversity and structuring of the grey wolf population from the Central Balkans based on mitochondrial DNA variation

Cited by 18 publications

References 24 publications

A European Concern? Genetic Structure and Expansion of Golden Jackals (Canis aureus) in Europe and the Caucasus

A European Concern? Genetic Structure and Expansion of Golden Jackals (Canis aureus) in Europe and the Caucasus

Wolf population genetics in Europe: a systematic review, meta‐analysis and suggestions for conservation and management

Review of genetic monitoring programs of wildlife species in Serbia

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