Assessment of genetic diversity, population structure and wolf-dog hybridisation in the Eastern Romanian Carpathian wolf population.

ABSTRACT: The Carpathian Mountains have been constantly inhabited by grey wolves and present one of the largest distribution areas in Europe, comprising between 2300 and 2700 individuals in Romania. To date, however, relatively little is known about the Romanian wolf population. We aimed to provide a first assessment of genetic diversity, population structure and wolf-dog hybridisation based on 444 mostly non-invasively collected samples in the Eastern Romanian Carpathians. Pack reconstruction and analysis of population genetic parameters were performed with mitochondrial DNA control-region sequencing and microsatellite genotyping. We found relatively high levels of genetic diversity, which is similar to values found in previous studies on Carpathian wolves from Poland and Slovakia, as well as to th

SUBMITTER: Jarausch A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10730609 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature