Abstract

Five south-European red deer populations from Spain, mainland Italy (Val di Susa and Tarvis), Sardinia and Bulgaria were analysed with regard to microsatellite loci and the mtDNA control region to cast light on the phylogeographic origin of the Corsican red deer which is restricted to Corsica and Sardinia. Whilst according to mtDNA haplotypes Sardinian red deer showed the closest affinity to the Spanish population, microsatellite analyses yielded completely different results in that Sardinia and Spain exhibited the greatest genetic distance whereas Tarvis was the population most closely related to Sardinia. These results are discussed including evidence as to the oldest fossil red deer remains on Sardinia. The latter could play a pivotal role regarding the decision between introduction of red deer on Corsica and Sardinia through humans in Holocene or natural settlement in Upper Pleistocene times.

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