IUCN/SSC Cat Specialist Group Library

IUCN / SSC Cat Specialist Group - Digital Cat Library

View printer friendly
Ryser-Degiorgis, M.-P.; Ryser, A.; Obexer-Ruf, G.; Breitenmoser-Wrsten, C.; Breitenmoser, U.; Lang, J.
Emergence of congenital malformations in free-ranging Lynx (_Lynx lynx_) from Switzerland: first evidence of inbreeding depression?
2004 Conference Proceeding
The Eurasian lynx vanished from Switzerland during the 19th century, and free-ranging lynx from the Carpathian mountains were reintroduced in the 1970s. All together, 14-16 animals were released in the Alps and 8-10 in the Jura Mountains, and two distinct populations arose from these releases. Nowadays, the lynx populations are estimated to 50-70 resident animals in the Jura and 70-80 in the northwestern Alps. As they are still isolated and have developed out of a few individuals, small genetic diversity can be expected in both populations. In recent years, several congenital malformations were observed in free-ranging lynx from Switzerland. We report here these observations and discuss the possibility of a correlation between the emergence of congenital defects and loss of genetic diversity as a consequence of inbreeding.
	PDF files are only accessible to Friends of the Cat Group. Joining Friends of the Cat Group gives you unlimited access and downloads in the Cat SG Library for one year, and allows you to receive our newsletter Cat News (2 regular issues per year plus special issues). More information how to join here