A European Concern? Genetic Structure and Expansion of Golden Jackals (Canis aureus) in Europe and the Caucasus

Krofel, Miha (author), Rutkowski, Robert (author)

Abstract In the first continent-wide study of the golden jackal (Canis aureus), we characterised its population genetic structure and attempted to identify the origin of European populations. This provided a unique insight into genetic characteristics of a native carnivore population with rapid large-scale expansion. We analysed 15 microsatellite markers and a 406 base- pair fragment of the mitochondrial control region. Bayesian-based and principal compo- nents methods were applied to evaluate whether the geographical grouping of samples cor- responded with genetic groups. Our analysis revealed low levels of genetic diversity, reflecting the unique history of the golden jackal among Europe’s native carnivores. The results suggest ongoing gene flow between south-eastern Europe and the Caucasus, with both contributing to the Baltic population, which appeared only recently. The population from the Peloponnese Peninsula in southern Greece forms a common genetic cluster with samples from south-eastern Europe (ΔK approach in STRUCTURE, Principal Components Analysis [PCA]), although the results based on BAPS and the estimated likelihood in STRUCTURE indicate that Peloponnesian jackals may represent a distinct population. Moreover, analyses of population structure also suggest either genetic distinctiveness of the island population from Samos near the coast of Asia Minor (BAPS, most STRUCTURE, PCA), or possibly its connection with the Caucasus population (one analysis in STRUC- TURE). We speculate from our results that ancient Mediterranean jackal populations have persisted to the present day, and have merged with jackals colonising from Asia. These data also suggest that new populations of the golden jackal may be founded by long-dis- tance dispersal, and thus should not be treated as an invasive alien species, i.e. an organ- ism that is “non-native to an ecosystem, and which may cause economic or environmental harm or adversely affect human health”. These insights into the genetic structure and ancestry of Baltic jackals have important implications for management and conservation of jackals in Europe. The golden jackal is listed as an Annex V species in the EU Habitats Directive and as such, considering also the results presented here, should be legally pro- tected in all EU member states.

• Language: English
• Keywords: zlati šakal, Canis aureus, genetika, razširjenost, razširjenost areala, areali, izvor populacije, struktura populacije, biogeografija
• Work type: Scientific work
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: BF - Biotechnical Faculty
• Year: 2015
• Number of pages: e0141236
• Numbering: Vol. 10, iss. 11
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-82593
• UDC: 630*15
• ISSN on article: 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0141236
• COBISS.SI-ID: 4222374
• Publication date in RUL: 25.05.2016

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: PloS one
• Publisher: Public Library of Science
• ISSN: 1932-6203
• COBISS.SI-ID: 2005896