| Abstract |
Although the European hare (Lepus europaeus) constitutes a main faunal element of open areas with a great socio-economic importance, little is known regarding the species biology, whereas its phylogeographic and population structure remain largely unknown. The study of European hare is interesting since it encompasses some of the most challenging principles in the field of theoretical population genetics. The species is continuously distributed in a variety of habitats occurring at the opposite extreme edges of the habitat variability, while it is characterized by high potential for dispersal and philopatry (females mostly), behavioral mechanisms that can play an important role in shaping the population structure of a species. The present study focuses on the European hare populations distributed in the Balkan peninsula and Cyprus. In an attempt to unravel the evolutionary history of the species and to determine its micro and macro-geographical genetic structure, we combined information acquired from distinct genetic markers, namely 10 nuclear microsatellite loci and partial control region (D-loop) sequences of mitochondrial DNA. Furthermore, we tried to assess the efficacy of current methodology in population genetics. Considering the problems encountered when defining populations and in contrast to what is currently known regarding the species genetic structure, hares of Balkans and Cyprus exhibited high variability and a remarkable genetic structure. The produced phylogenetic relationships coupled with paleogeographic, paleoclimatic and paleontological data allowed us to speculate a phylogeographic hypothesis according to which the species colonized Balkans during Pleistocene. Upon the phylogeographic scenario, an ancestral stock of the European hare inhabited areas of Caucasus where it probably diverged. During the middle and upper Pleistocene, ancestral populations of the species reached Europe following two distinct dispersal routes (north and south coastline of Black Sea) giving rise to the two phylogenetic clades (“eastern” and “western”) that are present today in Balkans. We also reported for the first time the spatial distribution of those highly divergent groups in the area of northeastern Greece where they occur in sympatry. Furthermore, information regarding the reproductive characteristics of Cretan populations revealed their discernible features, indicating a continuous reproduction of hares throughout the year, fact that could also be attributed to their genetic distinctiveness. Conclusively, the multi-dimensional study of European hare populations enabled the definition of the main features responsible for the pattern of diversity observed today in Balkans.
|
Διευρεύνηση της εξελικτικής ιστορίας του Ευρωπαϊκού λαγού (Lepus europaeus Pallas, 1778) στη βαλκανική
