Morphological Approach to Genetic Variability of the Asiatic Wild Ass ( Equus hemionus ) Using Non-metric Skull Characters
The Asiatic wild ass ( Equus hemionus ) is a globally endangered large mammal threatened by competition with livestock, poaching as well as habitat fragmentation and loss. Because of these environmental stresses it can be assumed that the species suff ers from lower developmental...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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National University of Mongolia
2015-12-01
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| Series: | Mongolian Journal of Biological Sciences |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://mjbs.num.edu.mn/uploads/files/MJBS%20Volume%2013%20Number%201-2%20December%202015/PDF/mjbs-13,3-12-lkhagvasuren_2015.pdf |
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| author | Davaa Lkhagvasuren Nyamsuren Batsaikhan Ravchig Samiya Renate Schafberg Anne Stubbe Michael Stubbe Hermann Ansorge |
| author_facet | Davaa Lkhagvasuren Nyamsuren Batsaikhan Ravchig Samiya Renate Schafberg Anne Stubbe Michael Stubbe Hermann Ansorge |
| author_sort | Davaa Lkhagvasuren |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The Asiatic wild ass (
Equus hemionus
) is a globally endangered large mammal
threatened by competition with livestock, poaching as well as habitat fragmentation
and loss. Because of these environmental stresses it can be assumed that the species
suff ers from lower developmental stability and that barrier eff ects could cause genetic
isolation. To gain more insight into the population genetics of the Asiatic wild ass,
a series of 440 skulls found in two Gobi regions of Mongolia were examined. The
epigenetic variability and epigenetic distance between the samples as well as their
fl uctuating asymmetry were studied by using 62 non-metric skull characters to test and
evaluate possible genetic depletion, genetic isolation and the general infl uences during
ontogenesis. The high epigenetic variability, I
ev
= 0.39 did not diff er between the two
regions indicating no evidence of genetic depression. The very low, but signifi cant
epigenetic divergence of MMD = 0.05 between the Dzungarian Gobi and the Southern
Gobi suggests restricted connectivity. The moderate degree of fl uctuating asymmetry
(FA = 0.11 – 0.15) found gives no signs of reduced developmental stability. Thus,
our results suggest that Asiatic wild ass from Mongolia are from genetically viable
populations. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T02:36:29Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-86f5bddc4eb64cc9848a8345b1086c9b |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1684-3908 2225-4994 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T02:36:29Z |
| publishDate | 2015-12-01 |
| publisher | National University of Mongolia |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Mongolian Journal of Biological Sciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-86f5bddc4eb64cc9848a8345b1086c9b2022-12-22T03:51:29ZengNational University of MongoliaMongolian Journal of Biological Sciences1684-39082225-49942015-12-01131-231210.22353/mjbs.2015.13.01Morphological Approach to Genetic Variability of the Asiatic Wild Ass ( Equus hemionus ) Using Non-metric Skull CharactersDavaa Lkhagvasuren0Nyamsuren Batsaikhan1Ravchig Samiya2 Renate Schafberg3Anne Stubbe4Michael Stubbe5Hermann Ansorge6Department of Biology, School of Arts and Sciences, National University of Mongolia, Ulaanbaatar 210646. MongoliaDepartment of Biology, School of Arts and Sciences, National University of Mongolia, Ulaanbaatar 210646. MongoliaDepartment of Biology, School of Arts and Sciences, National University of Mongolia, Ulaanbaatar 210646. MongoliaMuseum of Domesticated Animals “Julius Kühn”, Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg, Adam- Kuckhoff -Str. 35, 06108 Halle, GermanyInstitute of Zoology, Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg, Domplatz 4, 06099 Halle, GermanyInstitute of Zoology, Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg, Domplatz 4, 06099 Halle, GermanySenckenberg Museum of Natural History of Görlitz, PF 300154, 02806 Görlitz, GermanyThe Asiatic wild ass ( Equus hemionus ) is a globally endangered large mammal threatened by competition with livestock, poaching as well as habitat fragmentation and loss. Because of these environmental stresses it can be assumed that the species suff ers from lower developmental stability and that barrier eff ects could cause genetic isolation. To gain more insight into the population genetics of the Asiatic wild ass, a series of 440 skulls found in two Gobi regions of Mongolia were examined. The epigenetic variability and epigenetic distance between the samples as well as their fl uctuating asymmetry were studied by using 62 non-metric skull characters to test and evaluate possible genetic depletion, genetic isolation and the general infl uences during ontogenesis. The high epigenetic variability, I ev = 0.39 did not diff er between the two regions indicating no evidence of genetic depression. The very low, but signifi cant epigenetic divergence of MMD = 0.05 between the Dzungarian Gobi and the Southern Gobi suggests restricted connectivity. The moderate degree of fl uctuating asymmetry (FA = 0.11 – 0.15) found gives no signs of reduced developmental stability. Thus, our results suggest that Asiatic wild ass from Mongolia are from genetically viable populations.http://mjbs.num.edu.mn/uploads/files/MJBS%20Volume%2013%20Number%201-2%20December%202015/PDF/mjbs-13,3-12-lkhagvasuren_2015.pdfAsiatic wild assepigenetic variabilityEquus hemionusfl uctuating asymmetrynon-metric skull characterspopulation geneticsSouthern Mongolia |
| spellingShingle | Davaa Lkhagvasuren Nyamsuren Batsaikhan Ravchig Samiya Renate Schafberg Anne Stubbe Michael Stubbe Hermann Ansorge Morphological Approach to Genetic Variability of the Asiatic Wild Ass ( Equus hemionus ) Using Non-metric Skull Characters Mongolian Journal of Biological Sciences Asiatic wild ass epigenetic variability Equus hemionus fl uctuating asymmetry non-metric skull characters population genetics Southern Mongolia |
| title | Morphological Approach to Genetic Variability of the Asiatic Wild Ass ( Equus hemionus ) Using Non-metric Skull Characters |
| title_full | Morphological Approach to Genetic Variability of the Asiatic Wild Ass ( Equus hemionus ) Using Non-metric Skull Characters |
| title_fullStr | Morphological Approach to Genetic Variability of the Asiatic Wild Ass ( Equus hemionus ) Using Non-metric Skull Characters |
| title_full_unstemmed | Morphological Approach to Genetic Variability of the Asiatic Wild Ass ( Equus hemionus ) Using Non-metric Skull Characters |
| title_short | Morphological Approach to Genetic Variability of the Asiatic Wild Ass ( Equus hemionus ) Using Non-metric Skull Characters |
| title_sort | morphological approach to genetic variability of the asiatic wild ass equus hemionus using non metric skull characters |
| topic | Asiatic wild ass epigenetic variability Equus hemionus fl uctuating asymmetry non-metric skull characters population genetics Southern Mongolia |
| url | http://mjbs.num.edu.mn/uploads/files/MJBS%20Volume%2013%20Number%201-2%20December%202015/PDF/mjbs-13,3-12-lkhagvasuren_2015.pdf |
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