GENETIC-VARIABILITY IN FRENCH POPULATIONS OF THE CORSICAN MOUFLON (OVIS-AMMON-MUSIMON) - ANALYSIS OF 2 BLOOD PROTEINS AND RED-CELL BLOOD-GROUPS

Genetic variation in 7 French populations of the Corsican mouflon (Ovi s ammon musimom) was investigated by red-cell blood-group typing and e lectrophoresis of hemoglobin and transferrin. The 7 populations includ ed 3 that were captive, 3 established by introducing animals into the wild and 1 native population on Corsica. Raw data were treated by clas sical monofactorial indexes and multivariate analyses. These analyses revealed no significant reduction of genetic variability in either the captive or the introduced feral populations, although the number of f ounder individuals was very low in both cases. The maintenance of gene tic variation is explained by the diverse geographical origins and by the genetic divergence of the founder individuals. Moreover, multivari ate analyses revealed a genetic structure related to the origin of the founder populations. Long-term resilience of gene combinations of blo ood factors and absence of gene flow between populations are suggested as the factors explaining conservation of the genetic make-up of the founder individuals over several generations. Finally, the presence of the hemoglobin A allele in 4 of the populations allows discussion of the emergence of the mouflon by feralization from archaic sheep.