Conservation genetics and elucidation of the Refugia hypothesis of Japanese serow

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K23678
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Research Activity Start-up
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: 0602:Agricultural and environmental biology and related fields
• Research Institution: Rakuno Gakuen University
• Principal Investigator: Itoh Tetsuji 酪農学園大学, 農食環境学群, 講師 (70751931)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-08-30 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: ニホンカモシカ / 保全遺伝学 / 管理 / マイクロサテライト / ミトコンドリアDNA / 遺伝的構造

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The purpose of this study was to elucidate useful information for conservation and management, the process of establishment of local populations, and the process of distribution expansion since the Ice Age about of Japanese serow. Microsatellite DNA and mitochondrial DNA were analyzed for samples of Japanese serow (84 samples in 2018 and 64 individuals in 2019) in Nagano Prefecture. As a result, three subpopulations were identified in the microsatellite DNA analysis, and four haplotype groups were identified in the mitochondrial DNA analysis.
The genetic information and spatial distributions obtained from the two genetic markers showed similar spatial distributions, despite the different inheritance styles of each marker. This is thought to be due to the ecological characteristics of Japanese serow.

Free Research Field

保全遺伝学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

ニホンカモシカは、長野県内や近隣の地域には、4つの保護地域と7つの地域個体群が分布しており、今後の全国のカモシカの保護・管理を進める上で、本地域の保全遺伝学的研究の情報は重要と考えられる。本州の中央部に位置する各地域個体群の遺伝的構造を明らかにすることは、国内のカモシカの地域個体群の構築過程および氷河期以降の分散の過程に言及する新たなる知見を得られる可能性がある。