Genetic structure and phylogeography of the wolf (Canis lupus L. 1758) from Bosnia and Herzegovina

Abstract

<p>Ovom tezom je obuhvaćena analiza genetičke strukture i filogeografskog položaja vuka (<em>Canis lupus L. </em>1758) na teritoriji Bosne i Hercegovine, na uzorku od ukupno 79 jedinki. Analize su sprovedene primjenom (i) 18 mikrosatelitskih lokusa nDNK pomoću kojih su detektovani: nivo genetičke varijabilnosti, populaciona struktura, prolazak populacije kroz genetičko usko grlo, te ukr&scaron;tanje u srodstvu, i (ii) kontrolnog&nbsp; regiona&nbsp; (CR)&nbsp; regiona&nbsp; mtDNK&nbsp; pomoću&nbsp; kojih&nbsp; su sprovedene filogeografske analize.&nbsp; U&nbsp; radu&nbsp; je&nbsp; uočeno&nbsp; je&nbsp; grupisanje&nbsp; jedinki&nbsp; vuka&nbsp; Bosne&nbsp; i Hercegovine&nbsp; u&nbsp; dva&nbsp; genetička&nbsp; klastera&nbsp; &scaron;to,&nbsp; s&nbsp; obzirom&nbsp; na&nbsp; slabu&nbsp; statističku&nbsp; podržanost, najvjerovatnije&nbsp; ukazuje&nbsp; na&nbsp; prisustvo&nbsp; strukture&nbsp; na&nbsp; većem&nbsp; nivou.&nbsp; Prethodno&nbsp; navedeno&nbsp; je detektovano analizama populacione strukture dijela dinarsko - balkanske populacije vuka,gdje je uočena distribucija vukova Bosne i Hercegovine i Srbije u odvojene genetičke klastere. Statistički značajni signali prolaska populacije vuka Bosne i Hercegovine kroz genetičko usko grlo u skorijoj pro&scaron;losti nisu detektovani. Sekvence kontrolnog regiona mtDNK vuka pokazale su se dovoljno informativnim za detekciju jedinstvenih haplotipova vuka Bosne i Hercegovine, za&nbsp; koje&nbsp; je&nbsp; uočena&nbsp; distribucija&nbsp; u&nbsp; dvije,&nbsp; prethodno&nbsp; u&nbsp; literaturi, detektovane haplogrupe bez jasnog alopatrijskog obrasca. Pored toga, analizama sekvenci dijela kontrolnog regiona mtDNK&nbsp; uzorka&nbsp; vuka&nbsp; Evrope,&nbsp; uočeno&nbsp; je da se demografska ekspanzija haplogrupe 2 desila mnogo ranije u pro&scaron;losti u odnosu na period ekspanzije haplogrupe 1, koji se poklapa sa periodom razdvajanja navedenih haplogrupa, prije oko 13000 godina, &scaron;to ukazuje da je posljednji glacijalni maksimum imao uticaja u oblikovanju strukture genetičkih linija vuka u pro&scaron;losti. Rezultati dobijeni u ovom istraživanju su veoma informativni u cilju uspostavljanja pravilnog menadžmenta vrste i kreiranja plana za&scaron;tite vuka na nivou Bosne i Hercegovine, odnosno, na nivou dinarsko - balkanske populacije vuka iz koje se vr&scaron;e rekolonizacije jedinki u susjedne populacije.</p>

<p>In this thesis, the genetic structure and phylogeography of the wolf (Canis L. 1758) in the territory of Bosnia and Hercegovina were analysed, from a total sample of 79 individuals. Analyses were conducted by applying (i) 18 microsatellite loci of nuclear DNA, by which we estimated: the level of genetic&nbsp; variability, population structure, kinship, bottleneck and inbreeding, and (ii) control region of mtDNA by which we analysed phylogeography. Two genetic clusters were observed for the wolf population&nbsp; from Bosnia and Hercegovina, although with statistically low support, which may point to structuring at the higher level. Indeed, after analysing the population structure at the higher, Dinaric - Balkan level, the distribution of wolves&nbsp; from Bosnia and Hercegovina and&nbsp; Serbia was observed as falling into two distinct genetic clusters. Statistically significant signs of the recent bottleneck were not observed in the wolf&nbsp; population from Bosnia and Hercegovina. Analyses of control region mtDNA were conducted with the aim of detecting haplotypes in the Bosnia and Hercegovina population, as well as in the European&nbsp; samples. Distribution of&nbsp; haplotypes into two haplogroups, described in previous literature, was&nbsp; observed, without a clear alopatric phylogeny pattern. Furthermore, the analyses of the same&nbsp; molecular marker showed that demographic expansion of haplogroup 2 occurred significantly earlier when compared to the demographic explosion of haplogroup 1 . Results from this study are extremely&nbsp; important for the creation of a management plan for wolves from Bosnia and Hercegovina, and at the higher Dinaric - Balkan level.</p>