Mitochondrial and Nuclear DNA Based Genetic Assessment Indicated Distinct Variation and Low Genetic Exchange Among the Three Subspecies of Swamp Deer ( Rucervus duvaucelii )

The swamp deer (Rucervus duvaucelii) occurs, primarily, in the wet grasslands of the Himalayan foothills as well as the dry grasslands of central India. Three subspecies have been identified, namely R. duvaucelii duvaucelii, R. duvaucelii branderi and R. duvaucelii ranjitsinhi. Degradation of grassland habitats led to a drastic decline in the total swamp deer population in the early 19th century. Even though the species has recently shown signs of recovery, it is still vulnerable to the small-population paradigm. Effective management plans need to be put in place to increase the population through scientific intervention. The current genetic variation within the three subspecies of R. duvaucelii is unclear, and this is hindering effective conservation planning. We examined the genetic variability, population structure and demography of the three subspecies of swamp deer using the mtDNA control region and microsatellite analysis. Despite the spatial isolation of the populations, we found a high level of variation and weak divergence among the subspecies. The genetic differentiation (F ST ) between the subspecies and the mismatch distribution of haplotypes indicated recent colonization by these subspecies. Population bottleneck analysis indicated that the existing subspecies and their populations are at demographic equilibrium and are stable. The study highlights the need for effective conservation management intervention to maintain the population size and genetic diversity. It also indicates that all the subspecies need to be managed as separate conservation units.