Mitochondrial DNA variation in roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) populations trom Central and Southern Italy

The European roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) is one of the most representative species of the ungulate fauna in the Mediterranean area. In South-West of Europe, autochthonous populations have been greatly reduced, and in some cases completely wiped out by overhunting (Perco and Calò, 1994, Proc. 2nd Europ. Roe Deer Meeting. Brixien:43-49). Also, native populations have been relatively disturbed as a consequence of habitat fragmentation and restocking for hunting purposes (Randi et al., 1998, Heredity 80:429- 437). Small remnant populations of putative native roe deer inhabit few areas in the Eastern Alps and Central-Southern Italy. South-Italy populations are of particular interest for conservation purposes because they were classified as an endemic subspecies (C. capreolus italicus Festa, 1925). Recently, Randi et al; (op.cit), Wiehler and Tiedermann (1998, Acta Theriol. Suppl. 5: 187 -197) investigated the mitochondrial DNA polymorphism in several populations of European and Siberian 'of roe deer. Vernesi et al. (Mol. Ecol. in press) analyzed more in detail the mitochondrial DNA genetic structure of natural and reintroduced populations with a focus on Alpine and Central Italy populations. However, none of those studies extended the sampling to Southern Italy, where populations possibly belonging to the putative subspecies C. capreolus italicus are isolated in the Orsomarso (Calabria, Basilicata) and Gargano (Puglia) areas. We sequenced 960 bp of the mitochondrial DNA control region in 60 individuals from Central and South Italy from Emilia-Romagna, Tuscany, Abruzzo, Basilicata, Calabria, and Puglia. We also sequenced the first hypervariable fragment (HVI) of the mitochondrial DNA control region in more than 100 specimens from Eastern Italian Alps to Tuscany. The data set obtained pooling the new and the already published sequences included more than 300 individuals We counted 70 different haplotypes, 21 of which never found so far. Twenty-two samples from Orsomarso shared a single haplotype, codified as DL 11, already found in populations from Latium (Castelporziano) and Tuscany (Siena, Massa and Grosseto). Three other haplotypes from Orsomarso and the haplotype of the single individual from Gargano available for this study are clearly related to the haplotype DL 11. Ali other haplotypes resulting from this study appear to belong to Central Italy and Eastern Alps gene pools. We also found some evidence of a possible introduction of individuals from the Balkans in Abruzzo (Majella). Gene diversity (H) found in samples from Southern-Italy ranges from 0.38 to 0.66. Similar values have been observed in Central and Northern Italian samples. The relevance for conservation purposes of Central and Southern Italy populations of roe deer is discussed.