Comparison of the Genetic Diversity of European Mink Eastern and Western Populations
The captive population of European minks in the zoo is based on founder individuals from Eastern Europe. In addition to the Eastern population, there is another captive population in Europe, managed separately in Spain, originating from Western Europe. Since the Western population of minks is smaller and may not be genetically viable in the long term, merging the previously separate Eastern and Western populations could be an option. The aim of the study was to analyze individuals from both populations and map the differences in their genetic diversity.
The preliminary study was conducted in collaboration with the SA Lutreola in 2018.
