Variation in Mitochondrial DNA of Vietnamese Pigs: Relationships with Asian Domestic Pigs and Ryukyu Wild Boars

Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequences (574 bp) of 30 Vietnamese pigs (large and small) were examined and compared with those of 61 haplotypes from wild boars and domestic pigs from various locations in Asia. The large Vietnamese pigs had genetic links to Ryukyu wild boars in southern Japan. The small Vietnamese pigs were closely related to other East Asian domestic pigs. These results indicate that Vietnamese pigs are genetically diverse and may be descendents of wild and domestic pigs from other regions of Asia

Variation in mitochondrial DNA of Vietnamese pigs: Relationships with Asian domestic pigs and Ryukyu wild boars

Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequences (574 bp) of 30 Vietnamese pigs (large and small) were examined and compared with those of 61 haplotypes from wild boars and domestic pigs from various locations in Asia. The large Vietnamese pigs had genetic links to Ryukyu wild boars in southern Japan. The small Vietnamese pigs were closely related to other East Asian domestic pigs. These results indicate that Vietnamese pigs are genetically diverse and may be descendents of wild and domestic pigs from other regions of Asia

ミトコンドリア DNA ハプロタイプ ブンセキ ニ ヨル グンマケン ツキノワグマ シュウダン ノ イデンテキ タヨウセイ

日本国内でツキノワグマ(Ursus thibetanus)は本州,四国に生息し,現在5地域の個体群が絶滅の恐れのある地域集団とされている。群馬県でもツキノワグマが生息しているが,その捕獲頭数を定めた群馬県ツキノワグマ適正管理計画は,地域集団の構成を考慮しないまま実施されており,このままでは絶滅を招く危険性をはらんでいる。このことから,ツキノワグマの適切な保全を考慮した農林業被害等の防止対策を実施することが,希少野生動物とともに暮らす地域にとって重要な課題といえる。そこで本研究は群馬県ツキノワグマの遺伝的多様性を明らかにするため,群馬県で捕獲されたツキノワグマ30個体のミトコンドリアDNA D-loop領域706bpの配列を決定し,ハプロタイプ分析を行った。その結果,群馬県のツキノワグマから6つのハプロタイプを同定した。これらは先行研究により東日本に生息するツキノワグマで同定された38ハプロタイプのうち,E01, E06, E10, E11, E31, E34に該当した。ハプロタイプの地理的分布および集団構造解析から,群馬県では南西部集団,中之条集団,北東部集団の3集団が存在する可能性が示唆された。群馬県中央部から南東部にかけては平野が広がっており,ツキノワグマの生息は確認されていない。よって群馬県のツキノワグマ3集団は群馬県の西から東へ南西部集団,中之条集団,北東部集団の順に並んで存在していると思われる。つまり,中之条集団の西側で南西部集団と分かれる境界線があり,東側で北東部集団と分かれる境界線が本研究によって想定された。これらは適正管理計画のもとで人為的に設定された地域個体群(越後・三国地域個体群と関東山地個体群)とは異なる境界分布を示しており,今後ツキノワグマの自然集団を繁栄した適切な保全計画を実施するためにも現在の分布境界線を見直していく必要があることを本研究は提唱する。Asiatic black bears living in Gunma Prefecture, Japan, have been divided into two populations (Echigo-Mikuni and Kanto mountain populations) based on the Asiatic Black Bear Population Management Plan. This management plan puts a ceiling on the number of bears captured in each population. However, for convenience, division of the two populations is based on an administrative boundary, and does not represent the natural population structure of this species in Gunma. Accordingly, to clarify the population structure of the species in Gunma, we performed mitochondrial haplotype analysis using 30 individuals captured in the prefecture. We identified six haplotypes, which corresponded to the haplotypes previously discovered in this species in eastern Japan. On the basis of the geographical distribution of the haplotypes and population structure analyses, we suggest that three populations of Asiatic black bear exist in Gunma Prefecture : the Southwestern, Nakanojo, and Northeastern populations. The Nakanojo population appears to be relatively small and genetically unique in Gunma. We identified two borders among these populations. One is situated between the Southwestern and Nakanojo populations, and the second is situated between the Nakanojo and Northeastern populations. These borders clearly differ from the single border drawn between the Echigo-Mikuni and Kanto mountain populations. We conclude that the current management plan does not reflect the natural population structure of these bears and suggest a revision of the plan based on the existence of three discrete populations

The Early PPNB in The North Levant : A New Perspective from Tell Ain el-Kerkh, Northwest Syria

The recent discovery of EPPNB occupation at Tell Ain el-Kerkh (ca 9 400-9 200 uncal. BP) in northwest Syria provides a new perspective of the early stage of Neolithisation in the north Levant. The archaeological evidence from Kerkh shows first that the earliest Neolithic occupation in northwest Syria goes back to the EPPNB period and revises the generally accepted hypothesis that the Neolithisation in this region started in the LPPNB. In addition, the narrow naviform cores and Aswad points evidenced at Kerkh appear to be chronological markers of this period and imply the existence of other earlier PPNB sites in northwest Syria. When comparing the subsistence economy and the chipped stone industry of Kerkh with those of other contemporary sites, regional variations between the EPPNB sites become clear and possibly indicate the importance of local traditions in the development of the PPNB cultural horizon. Discovery of an EPPNB site in northwest Syria is also interesting in considering the origin of Cypriot PPN culture, but at the moment direct relationships between Kerkh and Cypriot PPN sites are rare.Au nord-ouest de la Syrie, la découverte d’occupations du niveau du PPNB ancien à Tell Ain el-Kerkh (ca 9 400-9 200 BP) fournit une perspective nouvelle sur la première étape de la néolithisation au Levant nord. Les données archéologiques de Kerkh montrent pour la première fois que l’installation néolithique la plus ancienne remonterait au PPNB ancien. Ceci modifie l’hypothèse généralement acceptée que, dans cette région, la néolithisation a commencé à partir du PPNB récent. En effet, les nucléus naviformes très étroits et les pointes d’Aswad trouvés à Kerkh seraient des marqueurs chronologiques de cette période. Leur présence sur d’autres sites suggère l’existence de sites contemporains dans le nord-ouest de la Syrie. Lorsque l’on compare l’économie de subsistance et les industries lithiques de Kerkh avec celles des autres sites contemporains, une variation régionale entre les sites PPNB ancien apparaît plus clairement. Cela peut suggérer également que des traditions locales se seraient largement développées sur l’horizon culturel du PPNB. Cette découverte d’un site PPNB ancien en Syrie du nord-ouest apporte des éléments permettant de nourrir la réflexion sur l’origine de la culture PPN à Chypre: cependant, pour l’instant les relations claires entre Kerkh et les sites PPN chypriotes restent rares.Tsuneki Akira, Arimura Makoto, Maeda Osamu, Tanno Ken'ichi, Anezaki Tomoko. The Early PPNB in The North Levant : A New Perspective from Tell Ain el-Kerkh, Northwest Syria. In: Paléorient, 2006, vol. 32, n°1. pp. 47-71

Identification and molecular variations of CAN-SINEs from the ZFY gene final intron of the Eurasian badgers (genus Meles)

The short interspersed nucleotide elements (SINEs) are specific to the taxa and thought to be one of powerful phylogenetic gene markers. Especially, the SINE sequences, which exist uniquely in genome of order Carnivora, are named CAN-SINEs. Among the Eurasian badgers (genus Meles), a member of the family Mustelidae in order Carnivora, the Japanese badger (M. anakuma) was previously reported to have an insertion of CAN-SINE in the final intron of the zinc finger protein gene on Y chromosome (ZFY). In the present study, we examined occurrence of the CAN-SINE of the ZFY final intron in the Eurasian badgers, and three continental and four Japanese haplotypes were identified from a total of 40 male badgers. Among the Eurasian badger CAN-SINEs, a 12-bp deletion specific to the Japanese haplotypes was found, whereas the 12-bp region (non-deletion) in the continental haplotypes consisted of one 6-bp direct repeat and 6-bp microsatellite-like sequences. Moreover, the continental haplotypes were phylogenetically divided into three lineages: eastern Eurasia, Caucasus and western Eurasia. These genetic differentiations supported the classification recently proposing that genus Meles are grouped into the European badger (M. meles), the Southwest Asian badger (M canescens), the Northwest & Central Asian badger (M. leucurus) and the Japanese badger (M. anakuna). In addition, the number of adenines in the poly A/T rich tails was polymorphic among all lineages of Eurasian badgers, and geographically variable within the Japanese badgers