Data from: Strong population structure in a species manipulated by man since the Neolithic: the European fallow deer (Dama dama dama)

Species that have been translocated and otherwise manipulated by humans may show patterns of population structure that reflect those interactions. At the same time, natural processes shape populations, including behavioural characteristics like dispersal potential and breeding system. In Europe, a key factor is the geography and history of climate change through the Pleistocene. During glacial maxima throughout that period, species in Europe with temperate distributions were forced south, becoming distributed among the isolated peninsulas represented by Anatolia, Italy and Iberia. Understanding modern patterns of diversity depends on understanding these historical population dynamics. Traditionally, European fallow deer (Dama dama dama) are thought to have been restricted to refugia in Anatolia and possibly Sicily and the Balkans. However, the distribution of this species was also greatly influenced by human-mediated translocations. We focus on fallow deer to better understand the relative influence of these natural and anthropogenic processes. We compared modern fallow deer putative populations across a broad geographic range using microsatellite and mtDNA loci. The results revealed highly insular populations, depauperate of genetic variation and significantly differentiated from each other. This is consistent with the expectations of drift acting on populations founded by small numbers of individuals, and reflected known founder populations in the north. However, there was also evidence for differentiation among (but not within) physically isolated regions in the south, including Iberia. In those regions we find evidence for a stronger influence from natural processes than may be expected for a species with such strong, known anthropogenic influence.

经人类易位或以其他方式人为干预的物种，其种群结构模式往往会反映出这类人类活动与种群动态的相互关联。与此同时，自然过程同样塑造着种群特征，其中包括扩散潜力、繁殖体系等行为学特性。在欧洲，更新世（Pleistocene）时期的气候变化地理格局与历史进程是影响种群的关键因素。在该时期的历次冰期盛期，欧洲境内具有温带分布范围的物种被迫南迁，最终分布于安纳托利亚、意大利及伊比利亚等孤立半岛区域。要解析现代种群的多样性分布模式，需先明晰这些历史种群动态过程。

传统观点认为，欧洲黇鹿（Dama dama dama）原本仅分布于安纳托利亚，以及可能包括西西里岛与巴尔干半岛在内的冰期避难所（refugia）中。但该物种的现代分布同时也深受人类介导的易位活动影响。本研究以黇鹿为研究对象，旨在厘清自然过程与人为活动对其种群结构的相对影响强度。

本研究利用微卫星（microsatellite）与线粒体DNA（mtDNA）基因座，对广泛地理分布范围内的现代黇鹿推定种群展开比较分析。研究结果显示，黇鹿种群呈现高度岛屿化特征，遗传多样性匮乏，且种群间存在显著的遗传分化。这一结果与由少量个体建立的奠基者种群受遗传漂变作用的理论预期相符，也与欧洲北部已知的黇鹿奠基者种群特征相契合。但研究同时发现，在伊比利亚等南部物理隔离区域之间（而非区域内部），同样存在遗传分化信号。在这些南部区域中，我们发现自然过程对种群的影响强度，远超具有显著人为干预历史的物种的常规预期水平。