Effects of human perturbation on the genetic make-up of an island population: the case of the Sardinian wild boar

摘要: Game species are often manipulated by human beings, whose activities can deeply affect their genetic make-up and population structure. We focused on a geographically isolated wild boar (Sardinia, Italy), which is classified, together with the Corsican population, as separate subspecies (Sus scrofa meridionalis). Two hundred ten boars collected across Sardinia were analysed set of 10 microsatellites compared 296 reference genotypes from continental populations to sample domestic pigs. The Sardinian showed remarkable diversity high proportion private alleles, strongly deviated equilibrium. A Bayesian cluster analysis only revealed partition into five subpopulations. However, two different approaches assignment individuals, accounting for possible source populations, produced consistent results proved admixed nature population. Indeed, introgressive hybridization multiple sources (Italian peninsula, central Europe, stocks) was detected, although poor evidence crossbreeding free-ranging pigs unexpectedly found. After excluding individuals who carried exotic genes, re-entered Hardy–Weinberg proportions clear structure three subpopulations emerged. Therefore, inclusion introgressed animals in implied an overestimation number clusters. Nonetheless, them between analyses corresponded highly pure stocks, located, respectively, north-west south-west Sardinia. This work shows critical importance including adequate samples when studying managed populations.