Hog deer were introduced to Australia in the 1860s, where they have spread across the Gippsland region of Victoria. Due to its status as an introduced species and an important game animal within Victoria, management of the species is complex. Given this complexity, genetic studies can provide important information regarding population structure and diversity which can assist in controlling problematic populations of hog deer, while also ensuring viable game stock in sites managed as game reserves. The aim of this study was to investigate the population genetic structure and diversity of the Victorian hog deer 150 years after introduction using short tandem repeats (STRs). Hog deer samples were collected across 15 sites of differing management regimes in the Gippsland region of Victoria and genotyped for 13 polymorphic STR loci. Up to four distinct genetic clusters were identified across the sites sampled, suggesting that despite low observed genetic diversity, population structure is present across their range. It was also possible to detect evidence of recent translocations among populations. This study suggests that the presence of distinct genetic clusters may enable management of separate genetic units, considering invasive species and game management objectives.

猪鹿于 1860 年代被引入澳大利亚，并已遍布维多利亚州的吉普斯兰地区。由于其在维多利亚州作为引进物种和重要猎物的地位，该物种的管理是复杂的。鉴于这种复杂性，遗传研究可以提供有关种群结构和多样性的重要信息，这可以帮助控制有问题的猪鹿种群，同时还可以确保作为野生动物保护区管理的地点的可行野生动物种群。本研究的目的是使用短串联重复序列 (STR) 研究引入 150 年后维多利亚时代猪鹿的种群遗传结构和多样性。在维多利亚州吉普斯兰地区的 15 个不同管理制度的地点收集了猪鹿样本，并对 13 个多态性 STR 基因座进行了基因分型。在采样的站点中鉴定出多达四个不同的遗传簇，这表明尽管观察到的遗传多样性较低，但种群结构存在于它们的范围内。也有可能发现最近在人群中易位的证据。这项研究表明，考虑到入侵物种和游戏管理目标，不同遗传集群的存在可能使管理单独的遗传单元成为可能。