Long-Term Genetic Investigations – Background for Research on Wildfowl Populations in the Changing Environmental Conditions

Abstract

Since the year 1980 genetic investigations of wildfowl have been performed in various breeding sites in the Northern Palearctic. The research was done on ca 800 individuals of 20 wildfowl species. To evaluate genetic diversity we used the following genetic markers: blood serum lipoprotein and common protein antigen systems, polymorphous common protein and isoenzyme systems, DNA random and microsatellite markers. It was found that the same species migrating from different wintering sites differed considerably not only by frequency of alleles of isoenzymes and common proteins, but also by frequency of random DNA fragments. We determined genetic diversity of seaducks wintering in the Baltic Sea, and the scope of inter-specific similarity and genetic distances between these species. Significant genetic differences were also identified among migratory and sedentary populations of Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) in different sites of the eastern Baltic region. Genetic studies form the background for long-term ecol...