title: Genetic Structure and Effective Population Sizes in European Red Deer (Cervus elaphus) at a Continental Scale: Insights from Microsatellite DNA.
abstract: We analyzed more than 600 red deer (Cervus elaphus) from large parts of its European distribution range at 13 microsatellite loci, presenting the first continent-wide study of this species using nuclear markers. Populations were clearly differentiated (overall F ST = 0.166, Jost's D est = 0.385), and the BAPS clustering algorithm yielded mainly geographically limited and adjacent genetic units. When forced into only 3 genetic clusters our data set produced a very similar geographic pattern as previously found in mtDNA phylogeographic studies: a western group from Iberia to central and parts of Eastern Europe, an eastern group from the Balkans to Eastern Europe, and a third group including the threatened relict populations from Sardinia and Mesola in Italy. This result was also confirmed by a multivariate approach to analyzing our data set, a discriminant analysis of principal components. Calculations of genetic diversity and effective population sizes (linkage disequilibrium approach) yielded the lowest results for Italian (Sardinia, Mesola; N e between 2 and 8) and Scandinavian red deer, in line with known bottlenecks in these populations. Our study is the first to present comparative nuclear genetic data in red deer across Europe and may serve as a baseline for future analyses of genetic diversity and structuring in this widespread ungulate.
authors.affiliation: From the Natural History Museum Vienna, 1010 Vienna, Austria (Zachos); Musée National d'Histoire Naturelle, L-2160 Münster, Luxembourg (Frantz); Fondation faune-flore, 25, Rue Munster, L-2160 Luxembourg (Frantz); Unit of Molecular Zoology, Chair of Zoology, Department of Animal Science, Technische Universität München, Freising, Germany (Kuehn); Department of Fish, Wildlife and Conservation Ecology, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM 88003-8003, USA (Kuehn); Département de l'Etude du Milieu naturel et agricole, Service Public de Wallonie, 23 Avenue Maréchal Juin, 5030 Gembloux, Belgium (Bertouille); CNRS-UMR 6553, Université de Rennes 1, Station Biologique, 35380 Paimpont, France (Colyn); Mammal Research Institute, Polish Academy of Sciences, Białowieza, Poland (Niedziałkowska); Grupo de Biología y Etología, Universidad de Extremadura, 10071 Cáceres, Spain (Perez-Gonzalez); Department of Biosciences, Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis (CEES), University of Oslo, 0316 Oslo, Norway (Skog); Cancer Registry of Norway, 0304 Oslo, Norway (Skog); Department of Fisheries, Beekeeping, Game Management and Special Zoology, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia (Sprĕm); and Institut des Sciences de la Vie, Université catholique de Louvain, Croix du Sud 4-15, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium (Flamand).
authors.forename: Frank E
authors.initials: FE
authors.lastname: Zachos
authors.affiliation: From the Natural History Museum Vienna, 1010 Vienna, Austria (Zachos); Musée National d'Histoire Naturelle, L-2160 Münster, Luxembourg (Frantz); Fondation faune-flore, 25, Rue Munster, L-2160 Luxembourg (Frantz); Unit of Molecular Zoology, Chair of Zoology, Department of Animal Science, Technische Universität München, Freising, Germany (Kuehn); Department of Fish, Wildlife and Conservation Ecology, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM 88003-8003, USA (Kuehn); Département de l'Etude du Milieu naturel et agricole, Service Public de Wallonie, 23 Avenue Maréchal Juin, 5030 Gembloux, Belgium (Bertouille); CNRS-UMR 6553, Université de Rennes 1, Station Biologique, 35380 Paimpont, France (Colyn); Mammal Research Institute, Polish Academy of Sciences, Białowieza, Poland (Niedziałkowska); Grupo de Biología y Etología, Universidad de Extremadura, 10071 Cáceres, Spain (Perez-Gonzalez); Department of Biosciences, Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis (CEES), University of Oslo, 0316 Oslo, Norway (Skog); Cancer Registry of Norway, 0304 Oslo, Norway (Skog); Department of Fisheries, Beekeeping, Game Management and Special Zoology, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia (Sprĕm); and Institut des Sciences de la Vie, Université catholique de Louvain, Croix du Sud 4-15, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium (Flamand).
authors.forename: Alain C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Frantz
authors.affiliation: From the Natural History Museum Vienna, 1010 Vienna, Austria (Zachos); Musée National d'Histoire Naturelle, L-2160 Münster, Luxembourg (Frantz); Fondation faune-flore, 25, Rue Munster, L-2160 Luxembourg (Frantz); Unit of Molecular Zoology, Chair of Zoology, Department of Animal Science, Technische Universität München, Freising, Germany (Kuehn); Department of Fish, Wildlife and Conservation Ecology, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM 88003-8003, USA (Kuehn); Département de l'Etude du Milieu naturel et agricole, Service Public de Wallonie, 23 Avenue Maréchal Juin, 5030 Gembloux, Belgium (Bertouille); CNRS-UMR 6553, Université de Rennes 1, Station Biologique, 35380 Paimpont, France (Colyn); Mammal Research Institute, Polish Academy of Sciences, Białowieza, Poland (Niedziałkowska); Grupo de Biología y Etología, Universidad de Extremadura, 10071 Cáceres, Spain (Perez-Gonzalez); Department of Biosciences, Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis (CEES), University of Oslo, 0316 Oslo, Norway (Skog); Cancer Registry of Norway, 0304 Oslo, Norway (Skog); Department of Fisheries, Beekeeping, Game Management and Special Zoology, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia (Sprĕm); and Institut des Sciences de la Vie, Université catholique de Louvain, Croix du Sud 4-15, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium (Flamand).
authors.forename: Ralph
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kuehn
authors.affiliation: From the Natural History Museum Vienna, 1010 Vienna, Austria (Zachos); Musée National d'Histoire Naturelle, L-2160 Münster, Luxembourg (Frantz); Fondation faune-flore, 25, Rue Munster, L-2160 Luxembourg (Frantz); Unit of Molecular Zoology, Chair of Zoology, Department of Animal Science, Technische Universität München, Freising, Germany (Kuehn); Department of Fish, Wildlife and Conservation Ecology, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM 88003-8003, USA (Kuehn); Département de l'Etude du Milieu naturel et agricole, Service Public de Wallonie, 23 Avenue Maréchal Juin, 5030 Gembloux, Belgium (Bertouille); CNRS-UMR 6553, Université de Rennes 1, Station Biologique, 35380 Paimpont, France (Colyn); Mammal Research Institute, Polish Academy of Sciences, Białowieza, Poland (Niedziałkowska); Grupo de Biología y Etología, Universidad de Extremadura, 10071 Cáceres, Spain (Perez-Gonzalez); Department of Biosciences, Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis (CEES), University of Oslo, 0316 Oslo, Norway (Skog); Cancer Registry of Norway, 0304 Oslo, Norway (Skog); Department of Fisheries, Beekeeping, Game Management and Special Zoology, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia (Sprĕm); and Institut des Sciences de la Vie, Université catholique de Louvain, Croix du Sud 4-15, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium (Flamand).
authors.forename: Sabine
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bertouille
authors.affiliation: From the Natural History Museum Vienna, 1010 Vienna, Austria (Zachos); Musée National d'Histoire Naturelle, L-2160 Münster, Luxembourg (Frantz); Fondation faune-flore, 25, Rue Munster, L-2160 Luxembourg (Frantz); Unit of Molecular Zoology, Chair of Zoology, Department of Animal Science, Technische Universität München, Freising, Germany (Kuehn); Department of Fish, Wildlife and Conservation Ecology, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM 88003-8003, USA (Kuehn); Département de l'Etude du Milieu naturel et agricole, Service Public de Wallonie, 23 Avenue Maréchal Juin, 5030 Gembloux, Belgium (Bertouille); CNRS-UMR 6553, Université de Rennes 1, Station Biologique, 35380 Paimpont, France (Colyn); Mammal Research Institute, Polish Academy of Sciences, Białowieza, Poland (Niedziałkowska); Grupo de Biología y Etología, Universidad de Extremadura, 10071 Cáceres, Spain (Perez-Gonzalez); Department of Biosciences, Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis (CEES), University of Oslo, 0316 Oslo, Norway (Skog); Cancer Registry of Norway, 0304 Oslo, Norway (Skog); Department of Fisheries, Beekeeping, Game Management and Special Zoology, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia (Sprĕm); and Institut des Sciences de la Vie, Université catholique de Louvain, Croix du Sud 4-15, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium (Flamand).
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Colyn
authors.affiliation: From the Natural History Museum Vienna, 1010 Vienna, Austria (Zachos); Musée National d'Histoire Naturelle, L-2160 Münster, Luxembourg (Frantz); Fondation faune-flore, 25, Rue Munster, L-2160 Luxembourg (Frantz); Unit of Molecular Zoology, Chair of Zoology, Department of Animal Science, Technische Universität München, Freising, Germany (Kuehn); Department of Fish, Wildlife and Conservation Ecology, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM 88003-8003, USA (Kuehn); Département de l'Etude du Milieu naturel et agricole, Service Public de Wallonie, 23 Avenue Maréchal Juin, 5030 Gembloux, Belgium (Bertouille); CNRS-UMR 6553, Université de Rennes 1, Station Biologique, 35380 Paimpont, France (Colyn); Mammal Research Institute, Polish Academy of Sciences, Białowieza, Poland (Niedziałkowska); Grupo de Biología y Etología, Universidad de Extremadura, 10071 Cáceres, Spain (Perez-Gonzalez); Department of Biosciences, Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis (CEES), University of Oslo, 0316 Oslo, Norway (Skog); Cancer Registry of Norway, 0304 Oslo, Norway (Skog); Department of Fisheries, Beekeeping, Game Management and Special Zoology, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia (Sprĕm); and Institut des Sciences de la Vie, Université catholique de Louvain, Croix du Sud 4-15, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium (Flamand).
authors.forename: Magdalena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Niedziałkowska
authors.affiliation: From the Natural History Museum Vienna, 1010 Vienna, Austria (Zachos); Musée National d'Histoire Naturelle, L-2160 Münster, Luxembourg (Frantz); Fondation faune-flore, 25, Rue Munster, L-2160 Luxembourg (Frantz); Unit of Molecular Zoology, Chair of Zoology, Department of Animal Science, Technische Universität München, Freising, Germany (Kuehn); Department of Fish, Wildlife and Conservation Ecology, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM 88003-8003, USA (Kuehn); Département de l'Etude du Milieu naturel et agricole, Service Public de Wallonie, 23 Avenue Maréchal Juin, 5030 Gembloux, Belgium (Bertouille); CNRS-UMR 6553, Université de Rennes 1, Station Biologique, 35380 Paimpont, France (Colyn); Mammal Research Institute, Polish Academy of Sciences, Białowieza, Poland (Niedziałkowska); Grupo de Biología y Etología, Universidad de Extremadura, 10071 Cáceres, Spain (Perez-Gonzalez); Department of Biosciences, Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis (CEES), University of Oslo, 0316 Oslo, Norway (Skog); Cancer Registry of Norway, 0304 Oslo, Norway (Skog); Department of Fisheries, Beekeeping, Game Management and Special Zoology, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia (Sprĕm); and Institut des Sciences de la Vie, Université catholique de Louvain, Croix du Sud 4-15, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium (Flamand).
authors.forename: Javier
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pérez-González
authors.affiliation: From the Natural History Museum Vienna, 1010 Vienna, Austria (Zachos); Musée National d'Histoire Naturelle, L-2160 Münster, Luxembourg (Frantz); Fondation faune-flore, 25, Rue Munster, L-2160 Luxembourg (Frantz); Unit of Molecular Zoology, Chair of Zoology, Department of Animal Science, Technische Universität München, Freising, Germany (Kuehn); Department of Fish, Wildlife and Conservation Ecology, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM 88003-8003, USA (Kuehn); Département de l'Etude du Milieu naturel et agricole, Service Public de Wallonie, 23 Avenue Maréchal Juin, 5030 Gembloux, Belgium (Bertouille); CNRS-UMR 6553, Université de Rennes 1, Station Biologique, 35380 Paimpont, France (Colyn); Mammal Research Institute, Polish Academy of Sciences, Białowieza, Poland (Niedziałkowska); Grupo de Biología y Etología, Universidad de Extremadura, 10071 Cáceres, Spain (Perez-Gonzalez); Department of Biosciences, Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis (CEES), University of Oslo, 0316 Oslo, Norway (Skog); Cancer Registry of Norway, 0304 Oslo, Norway (Skog); Department of Fisheries, Beekeeping, Game Management and Special Zoology, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia (Sprĕm); and Institut des Sciences de la Vie, Université catholique de Louvain, Croix du Sud 4-15, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium (Flamand).
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Skog
authors.affiliation: From the Natural History Museum Vienna, 1010 Vienna, Austria (Zachos); Musée National d'Histoire Naturelle, L-2160 Münster, Luxembourg (Frantz); Fondation faune-flore, 25, Rue Munster, L-2160 Luxembourg (Frantz); Unit of Molecular Zoology, Chair of Zoology, Department of Animal Science, Technische Universität München, Freising, Germany (Kuehn); Department of Fish, Wildlife and Conservation Ecology, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM 88003-8003, USA (Kuehn); Département de l'Etude du Milieu naturel et agricole, Service Public de Wallonie, 23 Avenue Maréchal Juin, 5030 Gembloux, Belgium (Bertouille); CNRS-UMR 6553, Université de Rennes 1, Station Biologique, 35380 Paimpont, France (Colyn); Mammal Research Institute, Polish Academy of Sciences, Białowieza, Poland (Niedziałkowska); Grupo de Biología y Etología, Universidad de Extremadura, 10071 Cáceres, Spain (Perez-Gonzalez); Department of Biosciences, Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis (CEES), University of Oslo, 0316 Oslo, Norway (Skog); Cancer Registry of Norway, 0304 Oslo, Norway (Skog); Department of Fisheries, Beekeeping, Game Management and Special Zoology, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia (Sprĕm); and Institut des Sciences de la Vie, Université catholique de Louvain, Croix du Sud 4-15, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium (Flamand).
authors.forename: Nikica
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sprĕm
authors.affiliation: From the Natural History Museum Vienna, 1010 Vienna, Austria (Zachos); Musée National d'Histoire Naturelle, L-2160 Münster, Luxembourg (Frantz); Fondation faune-flore, 25, Rue Munster, L-2160 Luxembourg (Frantz); Unit of Molecular Zoology, Chair of Zoology, Department of Animal Science, Technische Universität München, Freising, Germany (Kuehn); Department of Fish, Wildlife and Conservation Ecology, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM 88003-8003, USA (Kuehn); Département de l'Etude du Milieu naturel et agricole, Service Public de Wallonie, 23 Avenue Maréchal Juin, 5030 Gembloux, Belgium (Bertouille); CNRS-UMR 6553, Université de Rennes 1, Station Biologique, 35380 Paimpont, France (Colyn); Mammal Research Institute, Polish Academy of Sciences, Białowieza, Poland (Niedziałkowska); Grupo de Biología y Etología, Universidad de Extremadura, 10071 Cáceres, Spain (Perez-Gonzalez); Department of Biosciences, Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis (CEES), University of Oslo, 0316 Oslo, Norway (Skog); Cancer Registry of Norway, 0304 Oslo, Norway (Skog); Department of Fisheries, Beekeeping, Game Management and Special Zoology, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia (Sprĕm); and Institut des Sciences de la Vie, Université catholique de Louvain, Croix du Sud 4-15, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium (Flamand).
authors.forename: Marie-Christine
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Flamand
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003670:Deer / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics*; D005060:Europe; D014644:Genetic Variation; D005828:Genetics, Population; D005843:Geography; D018895:Microsatellite Repeats; D010802:Phylogeny; D058974:Phylogeography; D011156:Population Density
keywords: Cervus elaphus; Europe; Red deer; effective population size; microsatellites; phylogeography