关键词: 阿拉善马鹿, 粪便DNA, 线粒体控制区, 遗传多样性, 遗传分化

Abstract: Alashan red deer (Cervus elaphus alashanicus) is only found in Helan Mountainous areas. It is an isolated population, and has the narrowest distribution range among the eight red deer subspecies in China. Up to now little is known about its genetics. To understand its genetic diversity and variation, and to provide scientific reference for amending its conservation strategies, partial sequences of mitochondrial control region (991 bp), taken from fresh feces samples of 93 wild individuals from Helan Mountains, were amplified and analyzed. The results indicate that, based on 68 polymorphic sites and defined 16 haplotypes, genetic diversity for this species is low; its mean haplotype diversity and nucleotide diversity are only 0.405 and 0.00232, respectively. The analysis of Mismatch distributions and neutral tests demonstrates that the Alashan red deer has experienced a population expansion, and further Bayesin skyline plot (BSP) implies that such an expansion may have occurred during the Last Glacial Maximum (0.028-0.010Ma). The FST test shows that genetic variation of the deer is prominent. The phylogenetic tree constructed with Bayesian method and haplotype network indicates that there is no obvious phylogeographic separation between the two geographic groups. The final conclusion of this study indicates that genetic diversity of the Alashan red deer studied is quite low. Thus, more attentions to increasing its genetic exchanges with  other geographic groups or subspecies is critically required in order to maintain its prosperous prospect.

Key words: Alashan red deer（Cervus elaphus alashanicus）, Fecal DNA, MtDNA D-loop, Genetic diversity, Genetic differentiation