engleski

Genetic diversity of European Barbary sheep populations

Barbary sheep (Ammotragus lervia) is a non- native ungulate from North Africa which has been established in the wild beyond its natural range due to intentional introductions and illegal releases. In Europe, four countries are inhabited with free-ranging Barbary sheep population: Croatia, Czech Republic, Italy and Spain. While being threatened in their native area, the majority of its exotic populations have showed high adaptability and formidable capacity to settle and expand their ranges. Non-native species cause changes to the ecosystems in which they are introduced. To understand their potential to establish and spread in the novel range, it is crucial to study their genetic diversity and population genetic structure. Population genetic parameters affect population viability and adaptive potential under environmental change. Here, we report the first genetic study of European Barbary sheep populations. We used ten microsatellite loci previously published to characterize and compare the genetic diversity and spatial pattern of genetic structure among study populations. We aimed to understand how current levels of genetic diversity and structuring vary among Barbary sheep populations that differ with regard to the time and source of introduction. Our results present important knowledge about origins of these populations and are the basis for further management.

non-native game species ; microsatellite analysis ; genetic diversity ; spatial genetic structure

nije evidentirano