Skip to main content
Log in

Genetic Variability, Differentiation, and Founder Effect in Golden Jackals (Canis aureus) from Serbia as Revealed by Mitochondrial DNA and Nuclear Microsatellite Loci

Biochemical Genetics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

We analyzed 121 golden jackals (Canis aureus) from six sample sites in Serbia with regard to genetic variability and differentiation as revealed by mitochondrial control region sequences and eight nuclear microsatellite loci. There was no variation at all in the mtDNA sequences, and nuclear variability was very low (average observed and expected heterozygosity of 0.29 and 0.34, respectively). This is in line with the considerable recent range expansion of this species in the Balkans and indicates a strong founder effect in the recently established Serbian population. We did not find evidence of differentiation between the northeastern jackals and those from the plain of Srem or those in between. F-statistics and Bayesian Structure analyses, however, were indicative of a low degree of overall differentiation in the Serbian population. A vagrant Austrian jackal that was also analyzed was genetically indistinguishable from its Serbian conspecifics.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

References

  • Bauer K, Suchentrunk F (1995) Weitere Ausbreitung des Goldschakals Canis aureus L., 1758 in Österreich. Z Säugetierkd 60:307–309

    Google Scholar 

  • Belkhir K (2000) Genetix v. 4.01. Laboratoire Génome et Populations, CNRS UPR 9060, Université de Montpellier

  • Ben Slimen H, Suchentrunk F, Shahin AB, Ben Ammar Elgaaied A (2007) Phylogenetic analysis of mtCR-1 sequences of Tunisian and Egyptian hares (Lepus sp. or spp., Lagomorpha) with different coat colours. Mamm Biol 72:224–239

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cavalli-Sforza LL, Edwards AWF (1967) Phylogenetic analysis: models and estimation procedures. Am J Hum Genet 19:233–257

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Demeter A, Spassov N (1993) Canis aureus Linnaeus, 1758–Schakal, Goldschakal. In: Niethammer J, Krapp F (eds) Handbuch der Säugetiere Europas, vol 5/I Raubsäuger (Part I). AULA-Verlag, Wiesbaden, Germany, pp 107–138

    Google Scholar 

  • Evanno G, Regnaut S, Goudet J (2005) Detecting the number of clusters of individuals using the software structure: a simulation study. Mol Ecol 14:2611–2620

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ewen KR, Bahlo M, Treloar SA, Levinson DF, Mowry B, Barlow JW, Foote SJ (2000) Identification and analysis of error types in high-throughput genotyping. Am J Hum Genet 67:727–736

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Excoffier L, Laval G, Schneider S (2005) Arlequin ver. 3.0: an integrated software package for population genetics data analysis. Evol Bioinform Online 1:47–50

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Falush D, Stephens M, Pritchard JK (2003) Inference of population structure using multilocus genotype data: linked loci and correlated allele frequencies. Genetics 164:1567–1587

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Genov P, Wassilev S (1989) Der Schakal (Canis aureus L.) in Bulgarien. Ein Beitrag zu seiner Verbreitung und Biologie. Z Jagdwiss 35:145–150

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Giannatos G, Marinos Y, Maragou P, Catsadorakis G (2005) The status of the Golden Jackal (Canis aureus L.). Belg J Zool 135:145–149 (in Greece)

    Google Scholar 

  • Goudet J (1995) FStat (Version 1.2): a computer program to calculate F-statistics. J Hered 86:485–486

    Google Scholar 

  • Hall TA (1999) BioEdit: a user-friendly biological sequence alignment editor and analysis program for Windows 95/98/NT. Nucleic Acids Symp Ser 41:95–98

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hajji GM, Zachos FE, Charfi-Cheikrouha F, Hartl GB (2007) Conservation genetics of the imperilled Barbary red deer in Tunisia. Anim Conserv 10:229–235

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hmwe SS, Zachos FE, Eckert I, Lorenzini R, Fico R, Hartl GB (2006) Conservation genetics of the endangered red deer from Sardinia and Mesola with further remarks on the phylogeography of Cervus elaphus corsicanus. Biol J Linn Soc 88:691–701

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kirschning J, Zachos FE, Cirovic D, Radovic IT, Hmwe SS, Hartl GB (2007) Population genetic analysis of Serbian red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) by means of mitochondrial control region sequences. Biochem Genet 45:409–420

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Krystufek B, Tvrtkovic N (1990) Range expansion by Dalmation jackal population in the 20th century (Canis aureus Linnaeus, 1758). Folia Zool 39:291–296

    Google Scholar 

  • Krystufek B, Murariu D, Kurtonur C (1997) Present distribution of the Golden Jackal Canis aureus in the Balkans and adjacent regions. Mammal Rev 27:109–114

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kühn W (1935) Die dalmatinischen Schakale. Z Säugetierkd 10:144–146

    Google Scholar 

  • Lucchini V, Galov A, Randi E (2004) Evidence of genetic distinction and long-term population decline in wolves (Canis lupus) in the Italian Apennines. Mol Ecol 13:523–536

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Milenkovic M (1987) The distribution of the jackal, Canis aureus Linnaeus, 1758 (Mammalia, Canidae) in Yugoslavia. In: Proceeding on the Fauna of SR Serbia, 4:233–248 (in Serbian with an English summary)

  • Mitchell-Jones AJ, Amori G, Bogdanowicz W, Krystufek B, Reijnders PJH, Spitzenberger F, Stubbe M, Thissen JBM, Vohralík V, Zima J (1999) The atlas of European mammals. T. & A. D. Poyser, London, England

  • Nei M (1972) Genetic distance between populations. Am Nat 106:283–292

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ostrander EA, Sprague GF, Rine J (1993) Identification and characterization of dinucleotide repeat (CA)n markers for genetic mapping in dog. Genomics 16:207–213

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ostrander EA, Mapa FA, Yee M, Rine J (1995) One hundred and one new simple sequence repeat-based markers for the canine genome. Mamm Genome 6:192–195

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pemberton JM, Slate J, Bancroft DR, Barrett JA (1995) Nonamplifying alleles at microsatellite loci: a caution for parentage and population studies. Mol Ecol 4:249–252

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Piry S, Alapetite A, Cornuet J-M, Paetkau D, Baudouin L, Estoup A (2004) GeneClass2: a software for genetic assignment and first-generation migrant detection. J Hered 95:536–539

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pritchard JK, Stephens M, Donnelly P (2000) Inference of population structure using multilocus genotype data. Genetics 155:945–959

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Raymond M, Rousset F (1995) Genepop (version 1.2): population genetics software for exact tests and ecumenicism. J Hered 86:248–249

    Google Scholar 

  • Rice WR (1989) Analyzing tables of statistical tests. Evolution 43:223–225

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Roy MS, Geffen E, Smith D, Ostrander EA, Wayne RK (1994) Patterns of differentiation and hybridization in North American wolflike canids, revealed by analysis of microsatellite loci. Mol Biol Evol 11:553–570

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sommer R, Benecke N (2005) Late-Pleistocene and early Holocene history of the canid fauna of Europe (Canidae). Mamm Biol 70:227–241

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • van Oosterhout C, Hutchinson WF, Wills DPM, Shipley P (2004) Micro-Checker (version 2.2.3): software for identifying and correcting genotyping errors in microsatellite data. Mol Ecol Notes 4:535–538

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wahlund S (1928) Zusammensetzung von Populationen und Korrelationserscheinungen vom Standpunkt der Vererbungslehre aus betrachtet. Hereditas 11:65–106

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wattier R, Engel CR, Saumitou-Laprade P, Valero M (1998) Short allele dominance as a source of heterozygote deficiency at microsatellite loci: experimental evidence at the dinucleotide locus Gv1CT in Gracilaria gracilis (Rhodophyta). Mol Ecol 7:1569–1573

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zachos F, Hartl GB, Apollonio M, Reutershan T (2003) On the phylogeographic origin of the Corsican red deer (Cervus elaphus corsicanus): evidence from microsatellites and mitochondrial DNA. Mamm Biol 68:284–298

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zachos FE, Hmwe SS, Hartl GB (2006) Biochemical and DNA markers yield strikingly different results regarding variability and differentiation of roe deer (Capreolus capreolus, Artiodactyla: Cervidae) populations from northern Germany. J Zool Syst Evol Res 44:167–174

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zachos FE, Althoff C, v Steynitz Y, Eckert I, Hartl GB (2007a) Genetic analysis of an isolated red deer (Cervus elaphus) population showing signs of inbreeding depression. Eur J Wildl Res 53:61–67

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zachos FE, Cirovic D, Rottgardt I, Seiffert B, Oeking S, Eckert I, Hartl GB (2007b) Geographically large-scale genetic monomorphism in a highly successful introduced species: the case of the muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus) in Europe. Mamm Biol 72:123–126

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zachos FE, Otto M, Unici R, Lorenzini R, Hartl GB (2008) Evidence of a phylogeographic break in the Romanian brown bear (Ursus arctos) population from the Carpathians. Mamm Biol 73:93–101

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The authors wish to express their gratitude to all persons involved in the collection of samples: Zoran Gubin (Smederevo), Borko Dimitrijevic (Svilajnac), Zivorad Pavlovic (Velika Plana), Sladan Markovic and Nenad Mirkovic (Veliko Gradiste), and Franz Suchentrunk (Austria).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Frank E. Zachos.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Zachos, F.E., Cirovic, D., Kirschning, J. et al. Genetic Variability, Differentiation, and Founder Effect in Golden Jackals (Canis aureus) from Serbia as Revealed by Mitochondrial DNA and Nuclear Microsatellite Loci. Biochem Genet 47, 241–250 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10528-009-9221-y

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10528-009-9221-y

Keywords

Navigation