Global meta-analysis shows action is needed to halt genetic diversity loss.

Mitigating loss of genetic diversity is a major global biodiversity challenge. To meet recent international commitments to maintain genetic diversity within species, we need to understand relationships between threats, conservation management and genetic diversity change. Here we conduct a global analysis of genetic diversity change via meta-analysis of all available temporal measures of genetic diversity from more than three decades of research.

Spatial genetic characterization of the red fox (Vulpes vulpes) in the area between the Alps and the Central Dinaric Mountains.

Red fox, Vulpes vulpes, is a globally distributed species characterized by its high adaptability to diverse habitats and a broad range of food resources. This remarkable adaptability has allowed the red fox to thrive in various environments, from urban areas to remote wilderness. In this study, we used a set of microsatellite markers for the comparative genetic analysis of red fox populations from two countries.

Dealing With the Complexity of Effective Population Size in Conservation Practice.

Effective population size () is one of the most important parameters in evolutionary biology, as it is linked to the long-term survival capability of species. Therefore, greatly interests conservation geneticists, but it is also very relevant to policymakers, managers, and conservation practitioners. Molecular methods to estimate rely on various assumptions, including no immigration, panmixia, random sampling, absence of spatial genetic structure, and/or mutation-drift equilibrium.

How we look: European wild mouflon and feral domestic sheep hybrids.

Hybridization between wild animals and feral individuals from closely related domestic species can occur when they share the same habitat. Such events are generally regarded as a threat to the genetic integrity and survival of established wild populations. The aim of this study is to confirm a hybridization between European mouflon and feral sheep on the Adriatic island Dugi Otok, where a group of individuals phenotypically indicative of a possible introgression was photographed.

Ingenious Architecture and Coloration Generation in Enamel of Rodent Teeth.

Teeth exemplify architectures comprising an interplay of inorganic and organic constituents, resulting in sophisticated natural composites. Rodents (Rodentia) showcase extraordinary adaptations, with their continuously growing incisors surpassing human teeth in functional and structural optimizations. In this study, employing state-of-the-art direct atomic-scale imaging and nanoscale spectroscopies, we present compelling evidence that the release of material from ameloblasts and the subsequent formation of iron-rich enamel and surface layers in the constantly growing incisors of rodents are complex orchestrated processes, intricately regulated and independent of environmental factors.

Molecular analysis of scats revealed diet and prey choice of grey wolves and Eurasian lynx in the contact zone between the Dinaric Mountains and the Alps.

A comprehensive understanding of the dietary habits of carnivores is essential to get ecological insights into their role in the ecosystem, potential competition with other carnivorous species, and their effect on prey populations. Genetic analysis of non-invasive samples, such as scats, can supplement behavioural or microscopic diet investigations. The objective of this study was to employ DNA metabarcoding to accurately determine the prey species in grey wolf (Canis lupus) and Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) scat samples collected in the Julian Alps and the Dinaric Mountains, Slovenia.

Monitoring of species' genetic diversity in Europe varies greatly and overlooks potential climate change impacts.

Genetic monitoring of populations currently attracts interest in the context of the Convention on Biological Diversity but needs long-term planning and investments. However, genetic diversity has been largely neglected in biodiversity monitoring, and when addressed, it is treated separately, detached from other conservation issues, such as habitat alteration due to climate change. We report an accounting of efforts to monitor population genetic diversity in Europe (genetic monitoring effort, GME), the evaluation of which can help guide future capacity building and collaboration towards areas most in need of expanded monitoring.

Projection of current and future distribution of adaptive genetic units in an alpine ungulate.

Climate projections predict major changes in alpine environments by the end of the 21st century. To avoid climate-induced maladaptation and extinction, many animal populations will either need to move to more suitable habitats or adapt in situ to novel conditions. Since populations of a species exhibit genetic variation related to local adaptation, it is important to incorporate this variation into predictive models to help assess the ability of the species to survive climate change.

Traces of past reintroduction in genetic diversity: The case of the Balkan chamois (Mammalia, Artiodactyla).

The translocation of wild animal species became a common practice worldwide to re-establish local populations threatened with extinction. Archaeological data confirm that chamois once lived in the Biokovo Mountain but, prior to their reintroduction in the 1960s, there was no written evidence of their recent existence in the area. The population was reintroduced in the period 1964-1969, when 48 individuals of Balkan chamois from the neighbouring mountains in Bosnia and Herzegovina were released.

Performance Comparison of Different Approaches in Genotyping MHC-DRB: The Contrast between Single-Locus and Multi-Locus Species.

Major histocompatibility complex (MHC) genes are widely recognised as valuable markers for wildlife genetic studies given their extreme polymorphism and functional importance in fitness-related traits. Newly developed genotyping methods, which rely on the use of next-generation sequencing (NGS), are gradually replacing traditional cloning and Sanger sequencing methods in MHC genotyping studies. Allele calling in NGS methods remains challenging due to extreme polymorphism and locus multiplication in the MHC coupled with allele amplification bias and the generation of artificial sequences.

Neutral and Selective Processes Shape MHC Diversity in Roe Deer in Slovenia.

Disease control and containment in free-ranging populations is one of the greatest challenges in wildlife management. Despite the importance of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) genes for immune response, an assessment of the diversity and occurrence of these genes is still rare in European roe deer, the most abundant and widespread large mammal in Europe. Therefore, we examined immunogenetic variation in roe deer in Slovenia to identify species adaptation by comparing the genetic diversity of the MHC genes with the data on neutral microsatellites.

Population genetic structure of European wildcats inhabiting the area between the Dinaric Alps and the Scardo-Pindic mountains.

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.

Geographical Distribution and Genetic Diversity of Bank Vole Hepaciviruses in Europe.

The development of new diagnostic methods resulted in the discovery of novel hepaciviruses in wild populations of the bank vole (, syn. ). The naturally infected voles demonstrate signs of hepatitis similar to those induced by hepatitis C virus (HCV) in humans.

A Mother's Story, Mitogenome Relationships in the Genus .

Although the two species of chamois ( and ) are currently classified as least-concern by the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature), inconsistencies on the subspecies classification reported in literature make it challenging to assess the conservation status of the single subspecies. Previous studies relying on mitochondrial genes, sometimes in combination with nuclear or Y-chromosome markers, reported the presence of clusters corresponding to the geographic distribution but highlighting ambiguities in the genus phylogeny. Here we report novel de novo assembled sequences of the mitochondrial genome from nine individuals, including previously unpublished and subspecies, and use them to untangle the genus phylogeny.

Pilot Study on Genetic Associations With Age-Related Sarcopenia.

Despite strong evidence of an inheritable component of muscle phenotypes, little progress has been made in identifying the specific genetic factors involved in the development of sarcopenia. Even rarer are studies that focus on predicting the risk of sarcopenia based on a genetic risk score. In the present study, we tested the single and combined effect of seven candidate gene variants on the risk of sarcopenia.

First Insights into the Population Genetic Structure and Heterozygosity-Fitness Relationship in Roe Deer Inhabiting the Area between the Alps and Dinaric Mountains.

Across its pan-European distribution, the European roe deer () faces a wide diversity of environmental and climatic conditions; therefore, several factors, including intrinsic ones, shape life-history traits and cause significant variability in parameters of fitness. By utilizing microsatellite variations in 214 roe deer females collected throughout Slovenia, Central Europe, we determined the genetic variability and population structure of this species in the contact zone between the Alps and the Dinaric Mountains, i.e.

Genetic characterisation of wild ungulates: successful isolation and analysis of DNA from widely available bones can be cheap, fast and easy.

Genetic characterisation of wild ungulates can be a useful tool in wildlife management and in obtaining a greater understanding of their biological and ecological roles in a wider spatiotemporal context. Different ways of optimising methodologies and reducing the costs of genetic analyses using widely available bone tissues collected within regular hunting allocations were examined. Successful isolation and analysis of DNA from widely available bones can be cheap, fast and easy.

MHC Genotyping by SSCP and Amplicon-Based NGS Approach in Chamois.

Genes of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) code for cell surface proteins essential for adaptive immunity. They show the most outstanding genetic diversity in vertebrates, which has been connected with various fitness traits and thus with the long-term persistence of populations. In this study, polymorphism of the MHC class II locus was investigated in chamois with Single-Strand Conformation Polymorphism (SSCP)/Sanger genotyping and Ion Torrent S5 next-generation sequencing (NGS).

Microsatellite based assignment reveals history of extirpated mountain ungulate.

During the early 1900s, Northern chamois (Rupicapra rupicapra) populations in the northern Dinaric Mountains were extirpated. During the 1960s and 1970s there were several reintroductions of individuals from two Northern chamois subspecies (Alpine chamois, R. r.

Prevalence and genotype identification of Toxoplasma gondii in suburban rodents collected at waste disposal sites.

To assess the prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii infection in native and commensal rodents as indicators of environmental pollution, we analyzed brain tissue from small mammals collected on legal and illegal waste sites in the Slovenian and Croatian parts of Istria. A total of 136 animals and five species of the family Muridae were analyzed: black rat (Rattus rattus), domestic mouse (Mus musculus), wood mouse (Apodemus sylvaticus), striped field mouse (Apodemus agrarius), and yellow-necked mouse (Apodemus flavicollis). Using quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (qPCR), T.