Wild gazelles are scattered in most arid and semi-arid areas in the Sultanate of Oman particularly in valleys, mountains and sandy zones of Rub’ al Khali desert. Recently, however, gazelles’ numbers have been declining in Oman mainly due to the loss of habitat. Consequently, a gradual loss of their genetic diversity is inevitable. However, little is known about the status of the genetic diversity of the Omani wild gazelles. This study aimed to determine the extent of inbreeding, population structure and genetic diversity in the Omani gazelles’ populations in Dhofar region. Samples from four different locations namely Gara, Stom, Solot and Ayon were collected. DNA belonging to 74 gazelles’ fecal samples was extracted using the human stool DNA extraction protocol. Following extraction, four microsatellite nuclear markers were used to calculate the levels of inbreeding, population differentiation and genetic diversity. PCR inhibitors were significantly removed using Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA) and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO). The mean inbreeding for the population was 0.228 for all loci with a standard error of 0.09. It is therefore postulated that Dhofari gazelles are generally undergoing gradual inbreeding, which may lead to lack of fitness in future generations. The genetic differentiation (Fst) ranged between 0.071 (between Gara and Stom) and 0.231 (between Gara and Ayon). On the other hand, the Fst estimate between Solot (most distant) versus other Dhofari gazelles populations (pooled together) was 3.7%. Principle Components Analysis (PCA) clustered Ayon and Gara populations apart from one another and closer to Stom while placing Solot further than all other populations, which is in agreement with the Fst results and the geographical distribution. In conclusion, the results of this preliminary study provides an insight towards the conservation of wild gazelles in Dhofar in Oman. It provides an initial report on the status of the genetic diversity of Dhofari wild Gazelles and serves as a reference point for future studies assessing their genetic diversity and variability.

Wild gazelles are scattered in most arid and semi-arid areas in the Sultanate of Oman particularly in valleys, mountains and sandy zones of Rub’ al Khali desert. Recently, however, gazelles’ numbers have been declining in Oman mainly due to the loss of habitat. Consequently, a gradual loss of their ...