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Low level of genetic variability in European bisons (Bison bonasus) from the Bialowieza National Park in Poland

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Abstract

Nuclear DNA markers (microsatellites) were used to screen the genetic variability in the European bison population of the Bialowieza National Park, Poland. The species is listed as endangered and the Bialowieza population is the largest one worldwide. Many other herds were founded by individuals from Bialowieza. Out of 18 microsatellites, nine were polymorphic, five were found to be homozygous, and four loci did not amplify. No significant deviation from Hardy–Weinberg-equilibrium (HWE) was observed, and the average number of alleles was 2.3 per locus. Thus, the European bison is characterized by a very low level of genetic diversity, most likely resulting from the population decline in the nineteenth century. Nevertheless, allelic variability derived from the nine polymorphic loci established in this study allowed to identify each individual by its genotypic profile. This data is valuable for conservation plans of this impressive species, especially for the control of breeding success in these animals.

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Acknowledgments

We thank our cooperative partners in Poland for providing samples: M. Krasinska and Z. Krasinski as well as many hunters, veterinarians, and scientists for their support. We are grateful to G. Wibbelt and K. Frölich for their helpful discussions, to A. Schmidt for technical assistance, to C. Kühn for genetic marker information as well as to two anonymous referees, and W. Lutz for his helpful comments on an earlier draft. We also thank N. Benecke for providing us with his submitted manuscript. The authors declare that the experiments comply with the current laws in Germany.

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Correspondence to A. Ludwig.

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Luenser, K., Fickel, J., Lehnen, A. et al. Low level of genetic variability in European bisons (Bison bonasus) from the Bialowieza National Park in Poland. Eur J Wildl Res 51, 84–87 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10344-005-0081-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10344-005-0081-4

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