Conservation genetics of the endangered Dorcas gazelle (Gazella dorcas spp.) in Northwestern Africa

• Tipo: Artigo em Revista Científica Internacional
• Data: 2012

Autores

godinho, r (Autor) Outra; Abaigar, T (Autor) Outra; Lopes, S (Autor) Outra; Essalhi, A (Autor) Outra; Ouragh, L (Autor) Outra; Cano, M (Autor) Outra; ferrand, n (Autor) FCUP

Revista

Título: Conservation Genetics

Vol. 13

Páginas: 1003-1015

ISSN: 1566-0621

Editora: Springer Nature

Indexação

ISI Web of Knowledge - 27 Citações

Scopus - 26 Citações

Outras Informações

ID Authenticus: P-002-7NX

DOI: 10.1007/s10592-012-0348-8

Abstract (EN): Large mammals are seriously threatened in North Africa, with emblematic cases of extinction reported during the twentieth century. The Dorcas gazelle (Gazella dorcas) is an endangered species whose populations drastically declined in the last few decades. In this work we applied both invasive and non-invasive molecular methods to document for the first time patterns of genetic diversity and population structure of G. dorcas in its northwestern range, using 13 microsatellite loci and a 716 bp fragment of mitochondrial DNA in seven populations (one wild, four semi-captive and two captive). Genetic diversity at both mtDNA and nuclear markers showed a clear dichotomy among G. dorcas populations. While the wild population and the captive population maintained in Almeria (Spain) exhibited appreciable levels of diversity, all five captive and semi-captive populations across Morocco were fixed for a single mtDNA haplotype and showed low values of nuclear diversity. The allele frequency spectrum analysis of these five populations revealed profiles expected under a bottleneck scenario, but statistical tests performed to investigate this situation were not significant. Genetic differentiation measured by summary statistics (F-ST and D-est) and population structure revealed by Bayesian clustering analysis suggest that the Sidi Chiker Reserve, in the northern plains of Morocco, may harbour the last individuals belonging to G. d. massaesyla, while individuals from the El Kheng Reserve exhibited a moderate degree of differentiation and could not be unambiguously associated with one of the two remaining putative subspecies. These data should be taken into consideration in order to implement a conservation action plan for G. dorcas in Morocco.

Idioma: Inglês

Tipo (Avaliação Docente): Científica

Nº de páginas: 13