Sex-Based Differences in Multilocus Heterozygosity in Wild Boar from Spain

Sex-Based Differences in Multilocus Heterozygosity in Wild Boar from Spain

Wild boar (Sus scrofa) populations are increasing worldwide, leading to health, economic and conservation issues. Assessing genetic structure and diversity can aid in the effective monitoring and management of wild boar populations. Processes related to sexual selection and behavioral differences be...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Diversity (Basel) Vol. 16; no. 10; p. 610
Main Authors: Perez-Gonzalez, Javier, Hidalgo de Trucios, Sebastian J, Hidalgo Toledo, Sebastian P
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: Basel MDPI AG 01-10-2024
Subjects:
Biological diversity
Comparative analysis
Females
Fetuses
Genetic analysis
Genetic aspects
Genetic diversity
Genetic markers
Genetic structure
Genotypes
Heterozygosity
Hogs
Hunting
Hybridization
Infectious diseases
Males
Measurement
microsatellite markers
Microsatellites
Nonnative species
Paternity
paternity analysis
Physiological aspects
Population control
Population genetics
population management
Population studies
Sex
Sexual behavior
Sexual selection
Sus scrofa
Wild boar
Spain
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Summary:Wild boar (Sus scrofa) populations are increasing worldwide, leading to health, economic and conservation issues. Assessing genetic structure and diversity can aid in the effective monitoring and management of wild boar populations. Processes related to sexual selection and behavioral differences between sexes support the importance of considering sex in measuring genetic diversity. In this study, we investigated the genetic diversity of wild boar in southwestern Spain by comparing multilocus heterozygosity (MLH) in males and females. We collected tissue samples from 142 culled individuals and 146 fetuses during routine hunting activities and used 16 microsatellite markers to quantify MLH. Paternity analyses were conducted to infer the genotypes of reproductive males. Our results indicated that the sampled individuals constituted a unique polygynandrous population without clear genetic structure. We found that males tended to exhibit lower MLH than females, with reproductive males showing significantly lower MLH than females. We discuss the selection and demographic processes that might explain our results. We highlight the importance of sex-balanced culling for population control, as well as the use of sex-balanced samples for monitoring genetic diversities.
ISSN:1424-2818
1424-2818
DOI:10.3390/d16100610