Genetic heterozygosity in polecat Mustela putorius populations from western France.
Allozymic variations were investigated in 49 European polecats Mustela putorius from Western France by starch gel electrophoresis. Out of 31 surveyed loci, eight (25.8%) were shown polymorphic and observed heterozygosity averaged 0.057. Deviations from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium and heterozygote deficiency suggest that populations were not in panmixia. Heterozygotes for two loci or more totalled 42.9% of individuals. Thus, although carnivores were previously considered as less variable, polecat populations from Western France showed a high genetic variability.
D000483:Alleles; D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D005289:Ferrets / Q000235:genetics*; D005602:France; D005819:Genetic Markers; D014644:Genetic Variation; D005838:Genotype; D006579:Heterozygote; D008297:Male; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length