History of Lipizzan horse maternal lines as revealed by mtDNA analysis

Sequencing of the mtDNA control region (385 or 695 bp) of 212 Lipizzans from eight studs revealed 37 haplotypes. Distribution of haplotypes among studs was biased, including many private haplotypes but only one haplotype was present in all the studs. According to historical data, numerous Lipizzan maternal lines originating from founder mares of different breeds have been established during the breed's history, so the broad genetic base of the Lipizzan maternal lines was expected. A comparison of Lipizzan sequences with 136 sequences of domestic- and wild-horses from GenBank showed a clustering of Lipizzan haplotypes in the majority of haplotype subgroups present in other domestic horses. We assume that haplotypes identical to haplotypes of early domesticated horses can be found in several Lipizzan maternal lines as well as in other breeds. Therefore, domestic horses could arise either from a single large population or from several populations provided there were strong migrations during the early phase after domestication. A comparison of Lipizzan haplotypes with 56 maternal lines (according to the pedigrees) showed a disagreement of biological parentage with pedigree data for at least 11% of the Lipizzans. A distribution of haplotype-frequencies was unequal (0.2%–26%), mainly due to pedigree errors and haplotype sharing among founder mares

Povezanost inbreedinga i melanoma kod lipicanskih konja

The relationship between inbreeding and melanoma status (graded from 0 to 4) was analysed by various regression models. Analysed data referred to 296 grey Lipizzan horses originating from five state-owned studs (Austria, Croatia, Hungary, Slovakia and Slovenia) and with average inbreeding coefficient (F=0.107) calculated from extremely informative pedigrees (98% and 76% of horses had completely full pedigree in generation 10 and 20, respectively). In all regression models, in addition, the effects of stud (fixed) and age (covariate) were included. When all data were treated as one population, the estimates from linear and ancestral inbreeding models were not significant. Total inbreeding effect estimates (at F=0.125 and Fa=0.57) were 0.26 and 0.30 for the ancestral inbreeding and linear regression models, respectively. Heterogeneity among state-owned studs in inbreeding effects was also tested for both models and weak statistical significance was obtained for the interaction model with ancestral inbreeding (P=0.049). However, observed effect in the model with interaction was not consistent, did not yield in better model fitting and the obtained significance is probably just a statistical artefact. In general, although some indications about the relationship between ancestral inbreeding and melanoma were present, inbreeding does not appear to be a factor that substantially influences the expression of melanoma in Lipizzan horses.Regresijskim modelima analizirana je povezanost stadija melanoma (na skali od 0 do 4) i inbreedinga. Analizirani podaci odnose se na 296 sivih lipicanskih konja iz pet državnih ergela (Austrija, Hrvatska, Mađarska, Slovačka i Slovenija). Prosječna razina inbreedinga (F=0.107) izračunata je na temelju izuzetno informativnog pedigreea (98% jedinki imalo je potpuno poznat pedigre u generaciji 10, a 76% jedinki imalo je potpuno poznat pedigree u generaciji 20). U svim modelima uvažen je i utjecaj ergele (fiksni utjecaj) te starosti konja (kovarijabla). Kada se analiza koeficijenta regresije (regresija stadija melanoma na koeficijent inbreedinga) odnosila na populaciju kao jednu cjelinu, procjena linearnog koeficijenta regresije za inbreeding kao i za inbreeding predaka nije bila signifikantna. Kod razine inbreedinga F=0.125 i Fa=0.57, ukupna procjena linearnog utjecaja inbreedinga bila je 0.30, a utjecaja inbreedinga predaka bila je 0.26. Analizirana je i heterogenost utjecaja inbreedinga između državnih ergela i za interakcijski model sa inbreedingom predaka dobivena je slaba signifikantna interakcija (P=0.049). Ipak, dobiveni utjecaj u model sa interakcijom nije bio konzistentan, nije bolje objašnjavao nerazjašnjenu varijabilnost modela te je dobivena signifikantnost vjerojatno posljedica slučajnosti. Iz navedenog se može zaključiti, premda postoji indicija o povezanosti inbreedinga predaka i melanoma, da kod lipicanskih konja inbreeding nije čimbenik koji utječe na pojavu melanoma

Distribution and condition of common walnut plantations (Juglans regia L.) in the Tolmin forest managment area

V diplomskem delu smo proučevali razširjenost in stanje nasadov navadnega oreha v Gozdnogospodarskem območju Tolmin. Zanimalo nas je, koliko je nasadov, kakšnega izvora so in v kakšnem stanju so. Zanimalo nas je tudi morebitno pomlajevanje navadnega oreha v nasadih in njihovi okolici. V sedmih nasadih smo 185 drevesom izmerili in ocenili več parametrov. Rezultati so pokazali, da gre večinoma za vitalna odrasla drevesa z razmeroma dobro kakovostjo debel. Pri ugotavljanju pomlajevanja smo zadovoljive rezultate dosegli na lokacijah Bodrež in Stomaž. Posebno lokacija v Stomažu je s stališča pomlajevanja in morebitnih nadaljnjih raziskav zelo zanimiva, saj mlade osebke najdemo tudi v oddaljenosti več sto metrov od nasadov. Številčnost orehovega mladja je zanimiva tudi na posekah, kjer je ob ugodnih svetlobnih razmerah konkurenčen drugim drevesnim vrstam. V prihodnje se priporoča skrb za navadni oreh predvsem na lokacijah, kjer se sam pomlajuje. Za večji delež visokokakovostnega orehovega lesa v gozdovih pa bi bilo treba vlagati veliko dela in sredstev.In this Bachelor Thesis we studied the spatial distribution and the condition of the common walnut plantations in the Tolmin forest management area. We were interested in the number of plantations, their origin and condition, as well as the common walnut’s natural regeneration in the plantations and their surroundings. We measured and estimated several parameters of 185 trees in 7 plantations. The results showed that we were mostly dealing with mature and vital trees with relatively good trunk quality. When we studied the natural regeneration of the trees, adequate results were found in Bodrež and Stomaž. Especially the area in Stomaž seems to be very interesting regarding the natural regeneration and the possibility of future research, as young trees are found even hundreds of meters away from plantations. What is also interesting is the large number of young walnut trees in the clearings, where this species successfully competes with other species if given enough light. We suggest special attention and care for common walnut trees in the areas where it regenerates naturally. More work and funds should be invested to achieve a bigger proportion of a high-quality walnut wood in the woods

Mitochondrial DNA haplotypes in Slovenian Lippzzan mare families

Z analizo mitohondrijske DNK 53 lipicancev slovenske reje smo našli 17 različnih haplotipov mitohondrijske DNK. Deset haplotipov (Capriola, Allegra, Monteaura, Slavina, Batosta, Gratiosa, Wera, Betalka, Dubovina in Gaetana) je bilo značilnih za klasične lipicanske rodove, haplotip Thais za nov slovenski rod Rebecca in haplotipi M, C, Strana, Trompeta, Boka in Y za lipicanske rodove hrvaškega, romunskega ali madžarskega izvora. Visok delež haplotipov, značilnih za klasične rodove, je bil pričakovan, ker so v Sloveniji po letu 1947 želeli obnoviti lipicansko čredo predvsem s klasičnimi rodovi. Rezultati kažejo, da so bili trije klasični rodovi obnovljeni z lipicanci iz napačnih rodovv teh rodovih imajo lipicanci slovenske reje namreč različne haplotipe kot lipicanci iz drugih evropskih držav. Več kot en haplotip smo našli znotraj štirih rodov, kar kaže na dodatne nepravilnosti v rodovnikih. Predlagamo, da se nepravilnosti odpravijo z uvedbo novih rodov in z manjšimi prerazporeditvami lipicancev med rodovi. Geografski izvor lipicanskih haplotipov ostaja večinoma neznan, toda haplotipa Allegra in Monteaura bi bila lahko španskega izvora, ker so taki haplotipi najbolj pogosti pri iberijskih (andaluzijskih in lusitano konjih) ter severno-afriških konjih (berberih). Kladrubski izvor haplotipov Batosta in Slavina, ki sta značilna za lipicanska rodova kladrubskega izvora Africa in Almerina, lahko potrdimo z odkritjem obeh haplotipov pri današnjih kladrubskih konjiharabski izvor haplotipa Gaetana, ki je značilen ya lipicanski rod arabskega izvora Gidrane, pa z visoko pogostostjo haplotipa Gaetana v populaciji arabskih konj.Sequencing of mitochondrial DNA from 53 Slovenian Lipizzans revealed 17 distinct mtDNA haplotzpes: ten haplotypes (Capriola, Allegra, Monteaura, Slavina, Batosta, Gratiosa, Wera, Betalka, Dubovina and Gaetana) were present in classical mare families, haplotype Thais in the new Slovenian mare family Rebecca and haplotypes C, M, Strana, Trompeta, Boka and Y in mare families of Croatian, Romanian or Hungarian origin. We expected large amount of "classical" haplotypes, because after 1947 the Lipizzan breed in Slovenia was re-established using mainly Lipizzans from classical mare families. However, Lipizzans from incorrect mare families were probably used for the recovery of three classical families and therefore in these three families Slovenian Lipizzans had different haplotypes than other European Lipizzans. Additional pedigree errors were detected in four families showing more than one haplotype. We suggested that pedigree errors should be corrected by introduction of several new mare families and by minor re-distributions of Lipizzans among mare families. Geographical origin of the Lipizzan haplotypes remains uncertain, but haplotypes Allegra and Monteaura could be of Spanish origin due to the highest frequency of these haplotypes in Iberian (Andalusian and Lusitano) and North African horses (Barbs). Kladrubian origin of haplotypes Batosta and Slavina, which are characteristic for Lipizzan mare families of Kladrubian origin, Africa and Almerina, could be supported by the presence of both haplotypes in the present Kladruber horses. The Arabic origin of haplotype Gaetana, which is characteristic for the Lipizzan mare family of Arabic origin, could be supported by the high frequency of the haplotype Gaetana in Arabian horses