Lack of biochemical-genetic Variation in native Sika deer (Cervus nippon hortulorum) from the far east of the Asian continent

In contrast to various other deer species (see Hartl et al. 1990, for review), Sika deer {Cervus nippon) has only poorly been investigated for biochemical-genetic Variation. Population genetic data are available only from representatives of the Japanese subspecies Cervus nippon nippon, introduced into Great Britain and Ireland, and from hybrids of this subspecies with the Red deer {Cervus elaphus scoticus; see Harrington 1973). A multilocus investigation including 11 RBC/plasma enzyme Systems was performed by Herzog (1988) without detecting polymorphism or differences from the Red deer except for 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase, where the occurrence of genetic polymorphism is indicative for hybrid populations of Red and Sika deer. In order to examine genetic Variation in native Sika deer from the easternmost point of Asia, possibly belonging to the subspecies C. n. hortulorum (Ratcliffe 1987), whole blood samples of 43 individuals from a population in Primor'e (USSR) were collected during the hunting season of 1989/1990. The blood was fractioned into plasma and erythrocytes and stored frozen at -20 °C. Horizontal starch gel and agarose gel elec-