Genetic diversity of the Barbary partridge in North-eastern Sardinia

The Barbary partridge populations of Sardinia belong to the oldest and the most phylogenetically divergent species of the genus Alectoris, A. barbara. Nowadays, the species survives in few geographic areas outside the African regions : theSardinianIsland, Gibraltar peninsula andCanary Islands. Partridges are a good example of game fauna largely managed by humans and intentionally introduced in many Mediterranean islands. Probably, Sardinian populations of Barbary partridge are the result of human mediated introduction occurred about 3000 years ago. During the past decades breeding stocks were reared for hunting purpose in Sardinia and some breeding farms for population restocking arose in the island. Inbreeding and genetic changes in captivity can lead to low fitness, so the release of captive animals can affect the breeding performances of wild populations. Since 2000s Sardinian partridges declined throughout the entire island mostly due to over-hunting and habitat degradation; nevertheless the possible presence of inbreeding needs to be investigated. Aim of the study was to assess the level of genetic variation and population structure in Sardinian Barbary partridges. DNA was isolated from tissue samples of 120 Sardinian partridges. Fifteen partridges belonged to a breeding centre located in the north of the island, while 105 partridges were captured in 34 study areas located within the Province o fOlbia-Tempio (North Sardinia) from September 2011 to August 2012. Samples were tested using nine known polymorphic microsatellites : MCW043, MCW104, MCW146, MCW199, MCW215, Aru 1E66, Aru 1G49, Aru 1J76 and Aru 1.29. Primers for each locus were labelled at5’ with fluorescent dyes (FAM; HEX; ATTO550) and two multiplex PCR reactions were optimized. Moreover, we analyzed a 234 bp fragment of the variable domain I of the mitochondrial DNA. Sequences and fragment analyses were run on a 3130 Genetic Analyzer with ROX 500 standard for microsatellites sizing. Number of alleles per locus, allelic frequencies, observed and expected heterozygosity and inbreeding coefficient have been calculated. Preliminary results show a low number of alleles per locus and a low level of genetic variation in Sardinian partridges. Therefore constant monitoring and conservation plans should be implemented in order to maintain this particular population.