Investigation of Dalmatian ancestry in golden jackals in Slovenia’s neighbouring countriesKovačič, Tamara (Avtor) Stronen, Astrid Vik (Mentor) Canis aureusSloveniaDalmatiagene flowspatial genetic structureAlthough the golden jackal (Canis aureus) has been present along the Adriatic Coast of southeastern Europe for over 500 years, its range has only recently begun to expand further north. Genetic analyses conducted in the region suggest that a contact zone is emerging between the Dalmatian and Pannonian populations in southwestern Slovenia and northeastern Italy. According to earlier studies, the Pannonian population exhibited greater genetic diversity in the study area. The Dalmatian population appears to contribute only a small portion to the current jackal ancestry in Slovenia. Through the analysis of 73 golden jackal samples – 46 previously collected from Slovenia and from central and southern Dalmatia along the Adriatic Coast, as well as 27 new samples from Croatia, northeastern Italy, Austria (Styria), and Greece – we identified two main genetic clusters within the study area. One distinct population was found in Dalmatia on Croatia's Adriatic Coast, while a more widely distributed Pannonian population spanned regions including Styria in Austria, Krk, Dugi otok, Plitvice in Croatia, Italy, Greece, and Slovenia. The study also detected a few jackals with partial Dalmatian ancestry in western Slovenia, eastern Italy, and on Dugi otok, Croatia. While the small sample size warrants cautious interpretation, our findings offer valuable insights into the distribution of the Dalmatian population and help clarify jackal gene flow in a region where the species is still relatively new to the ecosystem.20242024-09-21 07:17:44Magistrsko delo/naloga162313VisID: 246066COBISS_ID: 209110787sl