title: Genetic diversity and population structure of the long-tailed goral, Naemorhedus caudatus, in South Korea.
abstract: The long-tailed goral, Naemorhedus caudatus, is an internationally endangered species. This species is distributed throughout Northeastern Asia including Northeastern China, the Russian Far East and the Korean peninsula. The population size of long-tailed gorals is currently decreasing in South Korea, and thus effective conservation of the animal is urgently needed. Although the evolution and phylogeny of this animal have been studied, population genetic studies are needed to design effective conservation and management strategies. To evaluate the present status of genetic diversity and genetic structure of long-tailed gorals in South Korea, we investigated genetic variability among 68 goral individuals from different regions, including 11 captive zoo animals, at 12 microsatellite loci. The level of genetic diversity was moderate in wild goral populations, but lower in the captive group. The goral population from the lower northeast region of South Korea was distinct from the upper northeast population, probably due to the natural climatic and geographic conditions. The genetic characteristics of the captive group were more similar to those of the upper northeast population than the lower northeast, confirming that the zoo animals originated in the Seorak Mountain range. Direct translocations between the upper and lower northeast populations are not currently recommended considering the natural population structure and the moderate levels of genetic diversity in the two populations. This study highlights the importance of genetic information in designing effective conservation strategies and translocations of endangered animals, including the Korean goral.
authors.affiliation: Conservation Genome Resource Bank for Korean Wildlife, College of Veterinary Medicine and Research Institute for Veterinary Science, Seoul National University.
authors.forename: Sung Kyoung
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Suwon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chun
authors.forename: Junghwa
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: An
authors.forename: Mu-Yeong
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Hyeon Jeong
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Mi-Sook
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Min
authors.forename: Soo-Wan
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Kwon
authors.forename: Tae Young
authors.initials: TY
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Hang
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Kyung Seok
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000483:Alleles; D000818:Animals; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D014644:Genetic Variation; D005828:Genetics, Population; D005843:Geography; D018895:Microsatellite Repeats; D056910:Republic of Korea; D012418:Ruminants / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics*