Open AccessGenetic structures and clinal variation of European red deer Cervus elaphus populations for two polymorphic gene loci
Author(s) -
Herzog Sven,
Gehle Thomas
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
wildlife biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.566
H-Index - 52
eISSN - 1903-220X
pISSN - 0909-6396
DOI - 10.2981/wlb.2001.001
Subject(s) - biology , locus (genetics) , allele , cervus elaphus , genetics , population , genetic variation , genetic distance , gene , zoology , evolutionary biology , ecology , demography , sociology
A study of nine enzyme systems in liver and kidney samples of red deer Cervus elaphus from three sites in North Germany and reanalysed allelic structures at two polymorphic gene loci (IDH, SOD) from eight sites in Germany, Scotland, France, Austria and Hungary (a total of 1,252 animals) have revealed two opposite genetic profiles. For IDH the presence of a biallelic major polymorphism is suggested, and for SOD a biallelic minor polymorphism. It is assumed that the three North German red deer populations at Harz, Lüneburger Heide and Soiling descend from one former population. The comparison of the allelic structures at the SOD gene locus of German, French, Austrian and Hungarian red deer populations provides evidence for a clinal decrease of this rare allele from north to south as well as an analogous clinal differentiation within the populations. For the gene locus IDH the selection model of overdominance is probable, due to the viability advantage of heterozygote calves previously discovered by other researchers. The allelic distances found between the three collectives of North Germany approximately correspond to the geographical distance.