Large-scale genetic census of an elusive carnivore, the European wildcat (Felis s. silvestris)
| Autor: | Robert H. S. Kraus, Annika Tiesmeyer, Jacques B. Pir, Annette Kohnen, Susan Roch, Katharina Steyer, Burkhard Vogel, Bruno Streit, Alexander Geib, Ulrike Schade, Mathias Herrmann, Christiane Frosch, Karsten Hupe, Malte Götz, Philipp Schiefenhövel, Manfred Trinzen, Sabrina Streif, Franz Müller, Berardino Cocchiararo, Carsten Nowak, Mascha Siemund, Jürgen Thein, Matthias Krüger, Thomas Mölich, Sandra Steeb, Ole Anders, Tobias E. Reiners, Olaf Simon |
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| Jazyk: | angličtina |
| Rok vydání: | 2016 |
| Předmět: |
0106 biological sciences
0301 basic medicine education.field_of_study biology Range (biology) Felis Population biology.animal_breed Biodiversity Zoology Wildlife corridor biology.organism_classification 010603 evolutionary biology 01 natural sciences 03 medical and health sciences 030104 developmental biology ddc:590 ddc:570 European wildcat Genetics Biological dispersal Carnivore education Ecology Evolution Behavior and Systematics |
| Popis: | The European wildcat, Felis silvestris silvestris, serves as a prominent target species for the reconnection of central European forest habitats. Monitoring of this species, however, appears difficult due to its elusive behaviour and the ease of confusion with domestic cats. Recently, evidence for multiple wildcat occurrences outside its known distribution has accumulated in several areas across Central Europe, questioning the validity of available distribution data for this species. Our aim was to assess the fine-scale distribution and genetic status of the wildcat in its central European distribution range. We compiled and analysed genetic samples from roadkills and hundreds of recent hair-trapping surveys and applied phylogenetic and genetic clustering methods to discriminate wild and domestic cats and identify population subdivision. 2220 individuals were confirmed as either wildcat (n = 1792) or domestic cat (n = 342), and the remaining 86 (3.9 %) were identified as hybrids between the two. Remarkably, genetic distinction of domestic cats, wildcats and their hybrids was only possible when taking into account the presence of two highly distinct genetic lineages of wildcats, with a suture zone in central Germany. 44 % of the individual wildcats where sampled outside the previously published distribution. Our analyses confirm a relatively continuous spatial presence of wildcats across large parts of the study area in contrast to previous analyses indicating a highly fragmented distribution. Our results suggest that wildcat conservation and management should take advantage of the higher than previously assumed dispersal potential of wildcats, which may use wildlife corridors very efficiently. published |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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