Møller, T.B., Pertoldi, C., Madsen, A.B., Asferg, T., Frydenberg, J., Hammershøj, M. & Loeschcke, V. 2004: Genetic variability in Danish polecats Mustela putorius as assessed by microsatellites. - Wildl. Biol. 10: 25-33.
Genetic variability and population structure was investigated in 83 European polecats Mustela putorius by means of six microsatellite markers. The samples came from two areas in Denmark, Østjylland and Thy, which are separated by the Limfjord. The genetic diversity (He = 0.583) found in the total sample was similar to those found in other mustelid species and carnivores in general. A heterozygote deficiency, probably due to a Wahlund effect, suggested a further substructuring of the Danish sample. Population genetic substructuring was investigated in three different ways: by means of the program STRUCTURE, Wright’s F-statistics and by an assignment test. All the tests indicate a subdivision of the sample into two distinct groups, which is concordant with the two sampling locations, with an average genetic divergence of FST = 0.126 and RST = 0.1692. The higher genetic diversity found in the Thy population (He = 0.578), as compared to the Østjylland population (He = 0.420), could be explained by assuming two ancient waves of colonisation of the Danish peninsula. Tests for recent bottlenecks were conducted, and the results suggest no evidence of neither population decline nor expansion. Our study is the first one in which microsatellite markers are used on polecat samples, and one locus (mv54) was found to be diagnostic in distinguishing between American mink Mustela vison and European polecat.
Key words: assignment test, diagnostic locus, polecat, population structure, microsatellite DNA, Mustela putorius, STRUCTURE
Thomas Bach Møller, Jane Frydenberg & Volker Loeschcke, Department of Ecology and Genetics, University of Aarhus, Ny Munkegade, Building 540, DK-8000 Århus C, Denmark - e-mail addresses: tm@kalgym.dk (Thomas Bach Møller); jane.frydenberg@biology.au.dk (Jane Frydenberg); biovl@nf.au.dk (Volker Loeschcke)
Cino Pertoldi*, Department of Ecology and Genetics, University of Aarhus, Ny Munkegade, Building 540, DK-8000 Århus C, Denmark, and Department of Landscape Ecology, National Environmental Research Institute, Kalø, Grenåvej 14, DK-8410 Rønde, Denmark - e-mail: cino@ebd.csic.es
Aksel Bo Madsen, Tommy Asferg & Mette Hammershøj, Department of Wildlife Ecology & Biodiversity, National Environmental Research Institute, Kalø, Grenåvej 12-14, DK-8410 Rønde, Denmark - e-mail addresses: abm@dmu.dk (Aksel Bo Madsen); ta@dmu.dk (Tommy Asferg); mha@dmu.dk (Mette Hammershøj)
*Present address: Department of Applied Biology, Estación Biológica Doñana, CSIC, Pabellón del Perú, Avda. Maria Luisa, s/n 41013 Seville, Spain
Corresponding author: Cino Pertoldi
Received 30 January 2003, Accepted 8 April 2003
Associate Editor: Paolo Cavallini