Georgi Markov

Diet composition of the golden jackal, Canis aureus in an agricultural environment

Abstract. Diet composition of the golden jackal (Canis aureus, L.) in Bulgaria, where the largest jackal population in Europe occurs, has been studied by scat analysis in a typical and newly occupied agricultural environment. The study was carried out during late summer and early autumn, a period when small mammal density is high. The food of the jackal typically consisted of small-sized and wild-living prey species. Rodents have been found to represent the primary food of the jackal (biomass estimation: 59.3 %, mainly Microtus spp.), and the European brown hare (Lepus europaeus, 20.1 %) and plants (19.7 %, mainly fruits) are secondary foods. Other prey, such as birds (mainly passerines), reptiles and invertebrates had been consumed in a low biomass ratio. No remains of wild ungulate and domestic animals have been detected in the studied scats.

Population genetic structure of wild boar Sus scrofa in Bulgaria as revealed by microsatellite analysis

Over the last two decades wild boar Sus scrofa Linnaeus, 1758 became the most intensively managed game species in Bulgaria. In order to delineate the population genetic structure, which is essential for sustainable wildlife management, we screened 10 porcine microsatellites across 289 wild boar samples originating from all relevant bioregions of the country. Results based on FST values, Bayesian clustering methods and a multi-dimensional scaling analysis can be summarised as follows: (1) two main genetic groups were revealed for the Bulgarian data set: the first one included individuals collected from the Balkan Range Mountain and the northern part of the country and the second one comprised individuals from the Rhodope, Osogovo, Iskur Range and Rila mountains in southern and south-western Bulgaria; (2) all Bulgarian wild boar populations showed a higher level of genetic diversity compared to four populations from Germany which were included for outgroup comparison, and (3) wild boar sampled from a game enclosure were found to be genetically divergent from the other Bulgarian populations, indicating human impact on population genetic structure most likely resulted from fencing and former translocation actions. The evolutionary background leading to the two defined management units as well as conservation and management strategies are discussed.

Intraspecific epigenetic polymorphism of the East European vole (Microtus levis Miller, 1908) in South-eastern Europe and Turkey

This study aims to represent the first report on population variation of 20 non-metric skull characters in East European vole (Microtus levis) from the Balkan (populations from Northern Dobruja; Southern Dobruja; East part of the Danube Plain; North-east Trace; Sofia field; South-east Trace) and Anatolian peninsulas (populations from North-west Anatolia region and Central Anatolia region), on the basis of which to determine its epigenetic variability and to analyse their mutual geographical epigenetic relations through comparison of the epigenetic divergence among them. Estimation of epigenetic variation of the studied populations of M. levis showed similar pattern of variation, but it is mostly higher than the other rodent species with a similar range of distribution, such as Microtus arvalis, Mus musculus, Apodemus sylvaticus, Apodemus flavicollis and Clethrionomys glareolus. Each one of the studied traits manifested some polymorphism. Moreover, all the calculated epigenetic distances (MMD) were statistically insignificant (P < 0.05) and epigenetic cranial uniqueness (MU) of any studied population was not found. These results reveal lack of expressed geographic relationship of population epigenetic variability in East European vole. The revealed populations epigenetic polymorphism of M. levis gives an opportunity for more complete assessment of variability and biological diversity of this species, but further research is necessary to elucidate its population epigenetics, especially as the data obtained in recent investigations of cranial morphology of the sibling species from the group the M. arvalis (sensu lato) added new locations to the distribution map of the East European vole in Eurasia.

Craniological variation of the Balkan chamois, Rupicapra rupicapra balcanica from Bulgaria

Abstract. The craniometrical analysis of population diversity of the Balkan chamois (Rupicapra rupicapra balcanica) from Bulgaria was carried out using 14 skull parameters and 65 adult individuals, originating from the main occurrence areas in the country — Stara Planina, Rhodope, Rila and Pirin Mountains. The data showed a high degree of sexual dimorphism of the skull. The univariate and multivariate statistical assessment of the skull features of Bulgarian chamois, performed separately by gender, demonstrated a high degree of phenotypic craniological similarity between the specimens of the same gender from the four main populations in Bulgaria; it also supported the hypothesis that the present segregation of Bulgarian chamois into the four main mountains characterized by distinctive orographic features did not give rise to measurable levels of their craniometric differentiation.

Phenetic similarity of European golden jackal (Canis aureus moreoticus) populations from southeastern Europe based on craniometric data

Abstract This study describes the craniometrical population pattern of the European golden jackal (Canis aureus moreoticus) populations inhabiting the southeastern part of its European range. The craniometric analysis was carried out using 18 linear skull and dental parameters. The analysis included 167 adult individuals (78 males and 89 females), originating from five populations inhabiting Bulgaria, Serbia and Hungary. The expected high degree of craniometric sexual dimorphism was confirmed. The multivariate differentiation analyses of linear characters were carried out separately for males and females from the five analyzed populations. The results are suggesting that Multiple Group Discriminant Analysis is able to “build” a model which classifies both males and females to the population from which they originated. The general pattern of craniometrical similarity in both males and females golden jackals in investigated area is not strongly bounded to the geographic origin of their population. Comparative population analysis of linear skull and dental parameters of golden jackals in southeastern Europe provided important information for future population differentiation studies across the whole golden jackal range.