Die Anwendung von Mikrosatelliten zum Studium der Sozialstruktur bei Großsäugetieren : am Beispiel von italienischem Wolf und Damwild

Scandura M. The use of microsatellites in the study of social structure in large mammals : Italian wolf and fallow deer as case studies. Bielefeld (Germany): Bielefeld University; 2004.The content of the present PhD thesis deals with the application of microsatellite analysis to the study of two species of large mammals, referring to some aspects of their social and mating systems. The Italian wolf (Canis lupus) and the fallow deer (Dama dama) were chosen as case studies, since genetic investigations on their populations result, for different reasons, problematic. The wolf in Italy is a particularly protected species, recovering throughout the peninsula from the effects of a recent bottleneck. Sampling wolves may not rely on capturing or killing them, therefore an alternative, non-invasive, approach was adopted in my study. Scats, shed hairs and blood drops collected on the snow represented the main source of DNA for the analysis. Methodological cares were necessary to obtain reliable wolf genotypes. A set of ten canine microsatellites was employed to achieve unique multilocus genotypes in the population. Fifty-two individuals were typed in the period 1998 - 2003. In some cases, pack composition was determined, confirming that familiar bonds are at the basis of wolf social units. An unpredictable high local differentiation was found among geographic areas. Early dispersal seem to be common in the population, but its effects on the gene flow are not detectable, at least at my study scale. I proposed that most of this dispersal may be unsuccessful or over long distances. The study population, indeed, seem to have reached a high level of local saturation, with clumped pack territories and high reproductive rates, and thus possibly represents a source, from which wolves disperse toward sink areas. The second study involves an enclosed population of fallow deer. Lekking is seldom observed in mammals, and among them, it is more common in ungulate species. Fallow deer is one of the most studied lekking ungulate and this particular population is object of long-term researches on male mating strategies. Mature bucks in the population join into leks during the breeding season: a costly strategy, which apparently does not guarantee high direct benefits (fitness). In this study, for the first time, I used a molecular approach to verify the existence of a genetic basis to lek formation. The recourse to microsatellites enabled to overcome the strong limitation due to the extremely monomorphism of the species, documented in several studies. Though the low variability even at microsatellite loci, the hypotheses of kin selection (territorial bucks in a lek are relatives) and of heterozygosity advantage (territorial bucks in a lek have an overall high heterozygosity) were tested and resulted not supported by data. Hence, future studies should be addressed towards phenotypic variation and consider in detail physiological and ecological factors, in order to clarify the reasons why lekking takes place in fallow deer

Long-lasting, kin-directed female interactions in a spatially structured wild boar social network

We thank W. Jędrzejewski for his support and logistical help in trapping wild boar. We are grateful to R. Kozak, A. Waszkiewicz and many students and volunteers for their help with fieldwork as well as to A. N. Bunevich, T. Borowik and local hunters for providing genetic samples. Genetic analyses were performed in the laboratory of the Department of Science for Nature and Environmental Resources, University of Sassari, Italy, with the help of L. Iacolina and D. Biosa. We are grateful to K. O’Mahony who revised English and to A. Widdig, K. Langergraber and one anonymous reviewer for valuable comments on the earlier version of the manuscript.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Trophic overlap between wolves and free-ranging wolf × dog hybrids in the Apennine Mountains, Italy

Hybridization between wolves (Canis lupus) and domestic dogs (Canis familiaris) can represent a threat to wild populations via genetic introgression and ecological competition. Therefore understanding the ecological role of hybrids may be crucial for developing appropriate conservation strategies. The Italian wolf population has a peculiar genetic composition due to a long-lasting geographic isolation. Nowadays, however, its genetic integrity is threatened by the spread of canine genes as a result of the hybridization with stray dogs in the wild. The aim of the present study was to gain insights into the ecological role of free-ranging wolf–dog hybrids by investigating their winter food habits in comparison with wolves in a mountain area of Central Italy. Levels of genetic introgression from the dogs were assessed in two adjacent areas occupied by up to five different packs by analyzing non-invasive samples and carcasses collected therein with a set of uniparental and bi-parental molecular markers. The obtained results enabled us to classify the two areas as 'hybrid' and 'wolf' areas based on their level of genetic introgression. Trophic niche and similarity/dissimilarity analyses did not detect significant difference in the diet between the two areas: in both of them, wild boar was the main prey, followed by roe deer. Furthermore, the same age/body mass classes of the two ungulates were selected by wolves and hybrids. Our findings confirmed wolf–dog hybrids as potential competitors for wolves. Further studies on other aspects of their biology and ecology are recommended in order to better estimate the impact of hybridization on natural wolf populations

Mitochondrial DNA Variation among Dogs of Mongolian, Tuvinian and Altaic Nomads

Dogs originated from the domestication of Eurasian grey wolves. From a genetic viewpoint, they can be grouped into two main clusters: the first is represented by several breeds obtained by artificial selection, whereas the second is of dogs that adapted to a human commensal lifestyle. Here we have provided a molecular survey aimed to infer on the genetic variability of dogs from nomadic camps in Mongolia, and the Republics of Tuva and Altai belonging to the Russian Federation. The results provided evidence of typical marks of expanding populations with multiple origins. Such a scenario could be the result of genetic exchanges among dogs from different camps, that were likely mediated by nomads

Applying the Darwin core standard to the monitoring of wildlife species, their management and estimated records

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