Data from: Strong population structure in a species manipulated by humans 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 mitochondrial DNA 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 reflects 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.

经人类易位或其他人为干预的物种种群，其种群结构模式可反映此类人类活动与物种的相互作用过程。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、繁殖系统等行为学特性。在欧洲，更新世（Pleistocene）时期的气候变化地理背景与历史进程是关键影响因素。在该时期的历次冰期盛期，欧洲温带分布物种被迫向南迁徙，最终分布于安纳托利亚、意大利与伊比利亚等孤立半岛之中。解析现代物种的多样性分布模式，有赖于对这些历史种群动态过程的认知。传统观点认为，欧洲黇鹿（Dama dama dama）原本仅栖息于安纳托利亚，以及可能包括西西里岛与巴尔干半岛在内的冰期避难所中。然而，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的相对影响程度。本研究采用微卫星（microsatellite）标记与线粒体DNA（mitochondrial DNA）位点，对广泛地理分布范围内的现代黇鹿假定种群开展了比较分析。研究结果显示，各类群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。这与少量个体奠基建立的种群受遗传漂变作用的理论预期相符，也印证了北部地区已知的奠基者种群特征。但研究同时发现，包括伊比利亚半岛在内的南部物理隔离区域之间存在种群分化，而区域内部则无明显分化。在上述南部区域，我们发现自然过程对种群的影响强度，远超具有此类显著人为干预特征的物种的预期水平。