Abstract

Thirty three random decanucleotide primers were tested for polymorphisms in a fenced Italian population of fallow deer Dama dama (Linnaeus, 1758), and 23 primers provided reproducable amplification patterns. The proportion of variable loci was 17.5% and the resulting intrapopulational similarity index was relatively high (S_a = 0.940). These data are in accordance with previous results obtained in screenings of other European fallow deer populations for biochemical variation. A comparison with a northern German specimen indicated low genetic variation also on an interpopulation level. Taking into account population histories (mass extinction, domestication, reintroductions) and the mating systems adopted, long-term effective population sizes in fallow deer should have been low, and low genetic variability could be expected. Given generally low levels of genetic variation, the RAPD-technique still detected a number of polymorphisms. Using a sufficient number of primers its resolution is considered satisfactory for individual typing or paternity analyses.

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