Genetic variability of the European bison (Bison bonasus l.) population in Lithuania

Abstract

The European bison (Bison bonasus Linnaeus, 1758) is the largest herbivore mammal surviving in Europe. Since 1973, Lithuania has been one of few European countries with the first free ranging herd. The species is still included in the country's Red Data Book. The knowledge about population genetic diversity of this species is limited. This study aimed to estimate genetic structure in the European bison using mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) control region. We conducted a study of genetic diversity of 50 individuals collected from a freeliving Lithuania population. Variable sites, nucleotide (π) and haplotype diversity (Hd) values were estimated in the studied B. bonasus population in Lithuania and compared results with other studies. Current genetic diversity study indicated low mtDNA control-region sequence variation in the European bison population from Lithuania.