A Demo-Genetic Analysis of a Small Reintroduced Carnivore Population: The Otter (Lutra lutra) in The Netherlands
Figure 5
The setup and aim of the genetic monitoring plan. All founding animals () were genotyped before they were released. Since we are working with a small, isolated population (i.e., effectively closed), the whereabouts of the animals could, during the first years of the studies (period 2002–2008), be traced by careful sampling and DNA extraction from the collected faeces (spraints). A positive match indicates the presence and distribution of known animals, in first instance founding animals but later on also successfully recruited offspring of the founding animals. A negative match implies the occurrence of new genetic profiles in the population. In first instance these have to be offspring of the founding animals (native borns), but later on these native borns could also descend from mating of previous native borns. Every year of monitoring the reference database with genetic profiles is updated based on the results of the previous year. In this way we were able to compose a detailed life table matrix and genetic pedigree of the reintroduced otter population.
