Population genetic structure of European wildcats inhabiting the area between the Dinaric Alps and the Scardo-Pindic mountains
Abstract Habitat fragmentation and loss have contributed significantly to the demographic decline of European wildcat populations and hybridization with domestic cats poses a threat to the loss of genetic purity of the species. In this study we used microsatellite markers to analyse genetic variatio...
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2021
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oai:doaj.org-article:33771d75631541d09445c95c484a10e72021-12-02T14:58:46ZPopulation genetic structure of European wildcats inhabiting the area between the Dinaric Alps and the Scardo-Pindic mountains10.1038/s41598-021-97401-52045-2322https://doaj.org/article/33771d75631541d09445c95c484a10e72021-09-01T00:00:00Zhttps://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-97401-5https://doaj.org/toc/2045-2322Abstract Habitat fragmentation and loss have contributed significantly to the demographic decline of European wildcat populations and hybridization with domestic cats poses a threat to the loss of genetic purity of the species. In this study we used microsatellite markers to analyse genetic variation and structure of the wildcat populations from the area between the Dinaric Alps and the Scardo-Pindic mountains in Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia and North Macedonia. We also investigated hybridisation between populations of wildcats and domestic cats in the area. One hundred and thirteen samples from free-leaving European wildcats and thirty-two samples from domestic cats were analysed. Allelic richness across populations ranged from 3.61 to 3.98. The observed Ho values ranged between 0.57 and 0.71. The global FST value for the four populations was 0.080 (95% CI 0.056–0.109) and differed significantly from zero (P < 0.001). The highest FST value was observed between the populations North Macedonia and Slovenia and the lowest between Slovenia and Croatia. We also found a signal for the existence of isolation by distance between populations. Our results showed that wildcats are divided in two genetic clusters largely consistent with a geographic division into a genetically diverse northern group (Slovenia, Croatia) and genetically eroded south-eastern group (Serbia, N. Macedonia). Hybridisation rate between wildcats and domestic cats varied between 13% and 52% across the regions.Felicita UrziNikica ŠpremHubert PotočnikMagda SindičićDean KonjevićDuško ĆirovićAndrea RezićLuka DunišDime MelovskiElena BuzanNature PortfolioarticleMedicineRScienceQENScientific Reports, Vol 11, Iss 1, Pp 1-11 (2021) |
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Medicine R Science Q Felicita Urzi Nikica Šprem Hubert Potočnik Magda Sindičić Dean Konjević Duško Ćirović Andrea Rezić Luka Duniš Dime Melovski Elena Buzan Population genetic structure of European wildcats inhabiting the area between the Dinaric Alps and the Scardo-Pindic mountains |
| description |
Abstract Habitat fragmentation and loss have contributed significantly to the demographic decline of European wildcat populations and hybridization with domestic cats poses a threat to the loss of genetic purity of the species. In this study we used microsatellite markers to analyse genetic variation and structure of the wildcat populations from the area between the Dinaric Alps and the Scardo-Pindic mountains in Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia and North Macedonia. We also investigated hybridisation between populations of wildcats and domestic cats in the area. One hundred and thirteen samples from free-leaving European wildcats and thirty-two samples from domestic cats were analysed. Allelic richness across populations ranged from 3.61 to 3.98. The observed Ho values ranged between 0.57 and 0.71. The global FST value for the four populations was 0.080 (95% CI 0.056–0.109) and differed significantly from zero (P < 0.001). The highest FST value was observed between the populations North Macedonia and Slovenia and the lowest between Slovenia and Croatia. We also found a signal for the existence of isolation by distance between populations. Our results showed that wildcats are divided in two genetic clusters largely consistent with a geographic division into a genetically diverse northern group (Slovenia, Croatia) and genetically eroded south-eastern group (Serbia, N. Macedonia). Hybridisation rate between wildcats and domestic cats varied between 13% and 52% across the regions. |
| format |
article |
| author |
Felicita Urzi Nikica Šprem Hubert Potočnik Magda Sindičić Dean Konjević Duško Ćirović Andrea Rezić Luka Duniš Dime Melovski Elena Buzan |
| author_facet |
Felicita Urzi Nikica Šprem Hubert Potočnik Magda Sindičić Dean Konjević Duško Ćirović Andrea Rezić Luka Duniš Dime Melovski Elena Buzan |
| author_sort |
Felicita Urzi |
| title |
Population genetic structure of European wildcats inhabiting the area between the Dinaric Alps and the Scardo-Pindic mountains |
| title_short |
Population genetic structure of European wildcats inhabiting the area between the Dinaric Alps and the Scardo-Pindic mountains |
| title_full |
Population genetic structure of European wildcats inhabiting the area between the Dinaric Alps and the Scardo-Pindic mountains |
| title_fullStr |
Population genetic structure of European wildcats inhabiting the area between the Dinaric Alps and the Scardo-Pindic mountains |
| title_full_unstemmed |
Population genetic structure of European wildcats inhabiting the area between the Dinaric Alps and the Scardo-Pindic mountains |
| title_sort |
population genetic structure of european wildcats inhabiting the area between the dinaric alps and the scardo-pindic mountains |
| publisher |
Nature Portfolio |
| publishDate |
2021 |
| url |
https://doaj.org/article/33771d75631541d09445c95c484a10e7 |
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