Subspecies of the Eeuropean beaverCastor fiber Linnaeus, 1758

Gabryś, Grzegorz; Ważna, Agnieszka

doi:10.1007/bf03192490

Cited by 11 publications

(4 citation statements)

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“…We analysed 76 individuals from seven populations (Table 1, Fig. 1), representing all currently recognized subspecies of the Eurasian beaver (Gabryß & Wa%na 2003; Ducroz et al . 2005; Durka et al .…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sequence diversity of the MHC DRB gene in the Eurasian beaver (Castor fiber)

2005

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Major histocompatibility complex (MHC) genes, coding molecules which play an important role in immune response, are the most polymorphic genes known in vertebrates. However, MHC polymorphism in some species is limited. MHC monomorphism at several MHC class I and II loci was previously reported for two neighbouring northern European populations of the Eurasian beaver (Castor fiber) and reduced selection for polymorphism has been hypothesized. Here, we analysed a partial sequence of the second exon of the MHC II DRB locus from seven relict European and Asian beaver populations. We detected 10 unique alleles among 76 beavers analysed. Only a western Siberian population was polymorphic, with four alleles detected in 10 individuals. Each of the remaining populations was fixed for a different allele. Sequences showed considerable divergence, suggesting the long persistence of allelic lineages. A significant excess of nonsynonymous substitutions was detected at the antigen binding sites, indicating that sequence evolution of beaver DRB was driven by positive selection. Current MHC monomorphism in the majority of populations may be the result of the superimposition of the recent bottleneck on pre-existing genetic structure resulting from population subdivision and differential pathogen pressure.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sequence diversity of the MHC DRB gene in the Eurasian beaver (Castor fiber)

2005

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“…The species has in recent years staged a spectacular comeback in most of central Europe (Nolet & Rosell, 1998; Halley & Rosell, 2002) and reintroduction to Scotland is also planned. In the past the European beaver has been considered either taxonomically conspecific with the North American taxon Castor canadensis or, at the other extreme, as composed of two different species: C. fiber and C. albicus (Gabrys & Wazna, 2003). However, the last century saw the near extinction of most populations and the translocations of some of them (and also of C. canadensis ) elsewhere, greatly obscuring the phylogeographical history of the genus through population interbreeding.…”

Section: Beavers: a Role For Zoos?mentioning

confidence: 99%

Beyond threatened species and reintroduction: establishing priorities for conservation and breeding programmes for European rodents in zoos

Gippoliti

Amori

2007

International Zoo Yearbook

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Conservation resources and interest are disproportionately directed towards large charismatic mammals, both in zoos and in situ. The order Rodentia represents c. 40% of known mammalian species, and rodents (and other small mammals) could be viewed by zoos as tools to demonstrate their commitment to conservation through local captive‐breeding and reintroduction programmes. However, it is necessary to identify the true degree of threat to species before investing the limited resources available to conservation efforts. Population declines at the local or regional level do not necessarily indicate a threat to species survival at the global level, and interest in small mammals and the location of the majority of zoos do not appear to overlap with hotspots of endemicity for rodents. Education, especially if coupled with habitat‐improvement activities, is essential to increasing public participation and support for biodiversity conservation. In this article we present the general principles that should be considered when establishing conservation priorities for small mammals, specifically in Europe but which apply equally across the globe.

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“…The original distribution of the Eurasian beaver, Castor fiber Linnaeus, 1758, the largest Eurasian rodent, once comprised a large portion of the Palaearctic region, from Great Britain and the westernmost Iberian Peninsula to the Balkans and Scandinavia, Mongolia, Siberia and northwestern China, throughout the deciduous and coniferous forest zones, and in suitable riparian areas, in tundra and in steppe (Djoshkin and Safonov 1972, Halley and Rosell 2003, Halley et al 2012, Batbold et al 2016. Currently, eight or nine subspecies of C. fiber are known, but their boundaries and resultant synonymies are unclear and obscured by historical translocations and reintroductions (Gabryś and Ważna 2003, Halley and Rosell 2003, Helgen 2005.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Late Pleistocene and Holocene distribution history of the Eurasian beaver in Italy

2019

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The genus Castor first appeared in the Palaearctic region during the Late Miocene, while the current species, Castor fiber, is widely accepted to have emerged in the Early Pleistocene. In the Last Glacial Maximum (Late Pleistocene), the beaver disappeared from most of the Western Palaearctic, only surviving in a few relic areas including the south-eastern Alpine Chain as shown by new data. After the subsequent extended repopulation in the warmer phases of the Lateglacial and in the early Holocene, the species once again disappeared locally from several countries, including Italy, between the 17th and the 20th centuries. Direct or indirect persecution by humans seems to be the main cause of beaver extinction in Europe. In Low Medieval Italy, it is more likely that the disappearance of the beaver between the 16th and 17th centuries was due to habitat alteration and human population pressure. Numerous reclamations have been carried out since the late Middle Ages, mostly in the easternmost area of the Po Valley, the last beaver refuge in Italy. Eurasian beaver was common in the northern and widespread in the central part of Italy, but always absent in southern Italy, probably due to unfavourable hydrological conditions of watercourses in the latter.

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Subspecies of the Eeuropean beaverCastor fiber Linnaeus, 1758

Cited by 11 publications

References 10 publications

Sequence diversity of the MHC DRB gene in the Eurasian beaver (Castor fiber)

Sequence diversity of the MHC DRB gene in the Eurasian beaver (Castor fiber)

Beyond threatened species and reintroduction: establishing priorities for conservation and breeding programmes for European rodents in zoos

Late Pleistocene and Holocene distribution history of the Eurasian beaver in Italy

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