DOMESTICATION AS A POSSIBLE MODE OF BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION (THROUGH THE EXAMPLE OF RIVER OTTER LUTRA-LUTRA L., 1758)

On an experimental basis in the Institute of Cytology and Genetics Sib erian Division, Russian Academy of Sciences, a cage population of rive r otter (Lutra lutra) was formed. During the introduction period of ca ptivity, as the selection for stress resistance in an anthropogenic en vironment is shown to be a crucial factor. Through the course of domes ticating river otters, directional selection occurs due to the increas e in the number of individual otters and to the absence of fear-induce d response toward humans. In the initial generation caught in the wild , three types of animals were revealed: cowardly or showing a fear-ind uced response (80%), aggressive (10%), and quiet (10%). After three ge nerations were reared in captivity, the relationship between these thr ee phenotypes changed in favor of otters with a quiet response toward man; the percentage increased After three generations, these quiet ani mals comprised 37%. The percentages of aggressive and cowardly animals accounted for 11 and 52%, respectively.