Title
Genetic structure in Mongolian gazelles based on mitochondrial and microsatellite markers
Author(s)
Okada, A.;Ito, T.Y.;Buuveibaatar, B.;Lhagvasuren, B.;Tsunekawa, A.
Published
2015
Publisher
Mammalian Biology
Abstract
Mongolian gazelles (Procapra gutturosa) are among the last remaining abundant and wide-ranging grassland ungulates, although they have experienced a 75% decline in habitat historically. The effect of their mobility on their genetic structure has not been fully investigated, especially given recent anthropological disturbances. We carried out a molecular study of Mongolian gazelles along the international railroad in the eastern Gobi-steppe of Mongolia using mitochondrial control region sequences and microsatellite markers. Both markers had high genetic diversity with no evidence of a population bottleneck. Genealogies using control region sequences revealed two distinct genetic lineages; however, they were unrelated to geographic location. No significant population genetic structure was found with mtDNA or microsatellites; no isolation-by-distance was detected in our study. Our results suggested that the large population and high mobility of the animals has allowed sufficient gene flow to maintain a homogenous population, and detectable genetic differentiation has not been caused in spite of the anthropologic disturbances including the railroad.
Keywords
Mongolian gazelle;Genetic structure;Mitochondrial control region;Microsatellites;Dryland
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PUB15646