Kologrivsky Nature Reserve

Genetics of pigs has been well studied in Europe and Asia, but most of previous studies of molecular phylogeny of Sus scrofa have been based on sequences of both wild and domestic forms. In this study we analysed genetic traits of Sus scrofa from 13 regions in Asia (including previously undisclosed Eastern Caucasus and Trans-Baikal regions) using purely wild boar samples. Mitochondrial control region and Y-chromosome genes (AMELY & USP9Y) were employed to resolve phylogeographic relationships. We discussed spatio-temporal dynamics of wild boar distribution and compared molecular data to morphological and cytogenetic data on wild boar variability and taxonomy. A total of 51 haplotypes were detected in mtDNA control region and five haplotypes were found in combined sequences of Y-chromosome genes. The phylogeography of Asia-wide wild boars supported a hypothesis of migration from South-East Asia to South Asia, followed by migration to East and West Asia. We present a hypothesis about independent dispersal of wild boars into West Asia from South and North-East Asia. Mitochondrial DNA phylogeny generally fits the morphologically based intraspecies taxonomy. Distribution of chromosomal variants of wild boar presently does not show clear correlation with mtDNA clades.

BackgroundWild boar, Sus scrofa, is an extant wild ancestor of the domestic pig as an agro-economically important mammal. Wild boar has a worldwide distribution with its geographic origin in Southeast Asia, but genetic diversity and genetic structure of wild boar in East Asia are poorly understood. To characterize the pattern and amount of genetic variation and population structure of wild boar in East Asia, we genotyped and analyzed microsatellite loci for a total of 238 wild boar specimens from ten locations across six countries in East and Southeast Asia.ResultsOur data indicated that wild boar populations in East Asia are genetically diverse and structured, showing a significant correlation of genetic distance with geographic distance and implying a low level of gene flow at a regional scale. Bayesian-based clustering analysis was indicative of seven inferred genetic clusters in which wild boars in East Asia are geographically structured. The level of genetic diversity was relatively high in wild boars from Southeast Asia, compared with those from Northeast Asia. This gradient pattern of genetic diversity is consistent with an assumed ancestral population of wild boar in Southeast Asia. Genetic evidences from a relationship tree and structure analysis suggest that wild boar in Jeju Island, South Korea have a distinct genetic background from those in mainland Korea.ConclusionsOur results reveal a diverse pattern of genetic diversity and the existence of genetic differentiation among wild boar populations inhabiting East Asia. This study highlights the potential contribution of genetic variation of wild boar to the high genetic diversity of local domestic pigs during domestication in East Asia.

The Asiatic black bear is one of the most endangered mammals in South Korea owing to population declines resulting from human exploitation and habitat fragmentation. To restore the black bear population in South Korea, 27 bear cubs from North Korea and Russian Far East (Primorsky Krai) were imported and released into Jirisan National Park, a reservoir of the largest wild population in South Korea, in 2004. To monitor the success of this reintroduction, the genetic diversity and population structure of the reintroduced black bears were measured using both mitochondrial and nuclear DNA markers. Mitochondrial D-loop region DNA sequences (615 bp) of 43 Japanese black bears from previous study and 14 Southeast Asian black bears in this study were employed to obtain phylogenetic inference of the reintroduced black bears. The mitochondrial phylogeny indicated Asiatic black bear populations from Russian Far East and North Korea form a single evolutionary unit distinct from populations from Japan and Southeast Asia. Mean expected heterozygosity (H(E)) across 16 microsatellite loci was 0.648 for Russian and 0.676 for North Korean populations. There was a moderate but significant level of microsatellite differentiation (F(ST) = 0.063) between black bears from the 2 source areas. In addition, genetic evidences revealed that 2 populations are represented as diverging groups, with lingering genetic admixture among individuals of 2 source populations. Relatedness analysis based on genetic markers indicated several discrepancies with the pedigree records. Implication of the phylogenetic and genetic evidences on long-term management of Asiatic black bears in South Korea is discussed.

The use of Geographical Information Systems (GIS) for analysis of large quantity of wildlife data is very important in the study of rare species.The Amur Goral (Nemorhaedus caudatus Milne-Edwards, 1867) population monitoring took place from 1954 to 2008 in the Sikhote-Alin State Nature Reserve and from 1947 to 2008 in Lazovsky State Nature Reserve.The database consists of 1.808 observations of goral in Sikhote-Alin Reserve and 1.152 observations of goral in LazovskyReserve.The database was grouped by decades and used the tag method for making image of range.We used Arc View GIS 3.3 for constructing the goral range.The map of scale 1: 100 000 was base for plotting of X and Y coordinates.We constructed the 6 maps representing 10 year periods .In 1960's the goral range in the Southern and Central Sikhote-Alin was very small and occupied only the coast of the Sea of Japan.After foundation of Zheleznyakovsky Refuge in 1976 to the north from natural boundary of maternal grouping (Abrek Mt.), gorals started to move gradually on its rocks.Goral breeding in Refuge began in the 1980s.Thus, we can ascertain occurrence of two affiliated groupings to the north and to the south from natural boundary of parent grouping during 50 years of XX century and during 10 years of XXI century.We also observed movements of single males from a parent grouping on rock cliff on the sea coast and we carried out monitoring of their life, but females did not join to them.In the Lazovsky Reserve goral grouping has a linear structure of range along the Goral Mt. and Tumannaya Mt.The GIS-range map shows more than 30 points of visual observations of single gorals out of coastal habitats, so intensive goral movements are registered in South Sikhote-Alin.