Allozyme variability and differentiation in Serbian roe deer populationsCapreolus capreolus

Abstract

Miloševiae-Zlatanoviae S., Crnobrnja-Isailoviae J. and Stamenkoviae S. 2005. Allozyme variability and differentiation in Serbian roe deer populations Capreolus capreolus. Acta Theriologica 50: 429-444.The present study investigates the genetic structure of 12 roe deer Capreolus capreolus Linnaeus, 1758 population samples from Serbia, by screening a total of 334 individuals. We examined whether genetic differentiation exists in local populations in Serbia, and addressed the question whether management policies may affect genetic structure. The populations were analysed by multilocus protein electrophoresis, with 33 protein loci examined. Screening of 20 enzymes and one group of general proteins revealed polymorphism at the following 12 loci: Sdh, Mdh-1, aGpd, Ak, Ca, Mpi and Gpi. Among samples, the proportion of polymorphic loci varied between 3-15.2% (mean 11.9%), while the average gene diversity was in the range of 1.1-4.2%. The overall genetic differentiation was low (q = 0.03). The comparison of two regional population groups (northern-southern, separated by the Danube River) showed an absence of genetic differentiation between regions. Gene flow was estimated at 8.96 migrants per generation, and was higher in the lowland than in the highland group. Three loci (Ca, 6-Pgd and Gpd-1) showed clinal variation along a geographical gradient. Additional five alleles of four loci (Ak, Pgm-1, Gpi, 6-Pgd) showed significant spatial autocorrelation. Genetic distances were small (D = 0-0.004). Northern and southern populations clustered separately. For at least three populations game management practices provide evidence for outlying genetic parameters. The observed heterogeneity in the inbreeding level was deemed more under the influence of non-random mating strengthened by game management, than by overall selective pressure. IntroductionThe results of previous studies reveal that genetic variability at the allozyme level is of the same order of magnitude in all examined populations of the roe deer, Capreolus capreolus Linnaeus 1758 Reimoser 1988, Hartl et al. 1993, [429] Acta Theriologica 50 (4): 429-444, 2005.PL ISSN 0001-7051 Lorenzini et al. 1993, Hewison 1995, Wang and Schreiber 2001 in Europe. In addition, almost the same loci are polymorphic in the different European populations. Selection of genes, number of populations and sample sizes, as well as modifications of the electrophoretic method, can influence the results and complicate comparisons (Simon and Archie 1985). However, it is also clear that the final pattern of the distribution of genetic variability can be strongly affected by many geographic, historical and demographic factors, as well as by those related to breeding structure, dispersal and the influence of anthropogenic factors (Fakler and Schreiber 1997, Lorenzini et al. 1997, Hartl et al. 1998. Recently, these studies have been expanded to include phylogeography across the distribution range in Europe using autosomal microsatellite loci (Randi et al. 2004) and mtDNA control regions Tiedem...

Spatial genetic analysis of roe deer from the northern Serbian Province of Vojvodina

“…In the last two decades, extensive genetic analyses have been done in European roe deer populations, employing different molecular markers, and aiming to estimate the levels of genetic variability and population differentiation, the effects of habitat fragmentation for conservation and management purposes, as well as to shed light on the phylogeography of the species (ZACHOS et al, 2006, and references cited within). Available data on Serbian roe deer populations based on allozyme analyses indicated lower genetic variability and polymorphism values in comparison to similar analysis done in Central, Southern and Eastern Europe roe deer populations (MILOŠEVIĆ-ZLATANOVIĆ et al, 2005). The results of this study also suggested that nonrandom mating and game management might have had an influence on the genetic structure of roe deer populations in Serbia (MILOSEVIĆ-ZLATANOVIĆET et al, 2005).…”

Sexual shape dimorphism in Serbian roe deer (Capreolus capreolus L.)

“…All roe deer (Capreolus capreolus L.) skulls used in this study originate from a single population situated in "Jasenica", Smederevska Palanka hunting ground in Serbia (Milošević-Zlatanović et al, 2005). These skulls belong to the official collection of "Jasenica" Hunting Association and were used in this study with assent of their respectful owners.…”

The modular organization of roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) body during ontogeny: the effects of sex and habitat

“…6 , Table 2 ) along a transect spanning 400–450 km from north-east (NE) to south-west (SW). The localities and sampling have been described in detail by Milošević-Zlatanović et al [ 77 ].

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