How accurate are coat traits for discriminating wild and hybrid forms of Felis silvestris?

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dc.contributor.authorBallesteros-Duperón, E.
dc.contributor.authorVirgós, E.
dc.contributor.authorMoleón, M.
dc.contributor.authorBarea-Azcón, J.M.
dc.contributor.authorGil-Sánchez, J.M.
dc.date.accessioned2016-06-02T15:10:49Z
dc.date.available2016-06-02T15:10:49Z
dc.date.issued2015-02
dc.description.abstractHybridisation between domestic cats, Felis catus, and wildcats, Felis silvestris, could lead to the genetic extinction of the latter; therefore, checking hybridisation rates in wild populations is of vital conservation importance. However, detecting hybridisation in the field is particularly challenging. Here, we aim to test the success of morphological-based procedures for discriminating wildcats from their hybrids and domestic cats, against genetic methods. We checked 17 putative Spanish wildcats by using two different classification systems based on coat patterns. None of the putative wildcats analysed in this study seemed to have an admixed genotype. Concordance between genetic and pelage approaches was almost total: only one coat classification produced mixed results with detection of one potential hybrid. Assignment was worse when performed in the field after a rapid examination of coat characters. We conclude that classification systems using coat traits could serve as surrogates of genetic approaches, but only after careful examination of those characters with more discriminatory power. Thus, the control of hybrid populations in the field as a management tool to preserve the genetic identity of wild forms is problematic if based on crude approaches or incomplete classification systems.en_ZA
dc.identifier.citationBallesteros-Duperón, E. 2015. How accurate are coat traits for discriminating wild and hybrid forms of Felis silvestris? Mammalia 79 (1), pp. 101-110.en_ZA
dc.identifier.issn0025-1461 (Print)
dc.identifier.issn1864-1547 (Online)
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10539/20413
dc.language.isoenen_ZA
dc.publisherWalter de Gruyter GmbHen_ZA
dc.subjectgenetic introgressionen_ZA
dc.subjectmorphological discriminationen_ZA
dc.subjectpelage charactersen_ZA
dc.subjectSpainen_ZA
dc.subjectwildcaten_ZA
dc.subjectaccuracy assessmenten_ZA
dc.subjectclassificationen_ZA
dc.subjectdetection methoden_ZA
dc.subjectextinctionen_ZA
dc.subjectfeliden_ZA
dc.subjectgenetic analysisen_ZA
dc.subjecthybridizationen_ZA
dc.subjectintrogressionen_ZA
dc.subjectmorphologyen_ZA
dc.subjectpelageen_ZA
dc.subjectphenotypeen_ZA
dc.subjectwild populationen_ZA
dc.subjectFelis catusen_ZA
dc.subjectFelis silvestrisen_ZA
dc.titleHow accurate are coat traits for discriminating wild and hybrid forms of Felis silvestris?en_ZA
dc.typeArticleen_ZA
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