Molecular approaches revealing prehistoric, historic, or recent translocations and introductions of hares (genus Lepus) by humans

Although only of medium size, and thus of little nutritional value compared to
big game such as mammoths and ungulates, hares (Lepus spp.) probably have always been
a food source for humans, as documented in archaeological finds. Nowadays, hares,
particularly such species as the brown hare (L. europaeus), are among the most important
game species in many European countries. For hunting, perhaps religious reasons, and in
connection with certain myths, hares have been and are still being intentionally
translocated. Ancient translocations by humans can be inferred from the presence of hares
on islands that had no mainland connections, at least during the Pleistocene, the major
evolutionary period of the genus Lepus. We review some of the literature on anthropogenic
translocations of hares. We focus on three examples [the brown hare (L. europaeus), the
Corsican hare (L. corsicanus), and the Sardinian hare (L. capensis)], where some molecular
data could be used to trace the translocation routes and possible origins of introduced hare
populations. Certain molecular marker systems, such as sequences of the hypervariable part
I (HV-1) of the mitochondrial control region, show high variability in hare species and are
thus promising for tracing both recent and ancient origins of translocated hares. Some other molecular marker systems as well as caveats connected with the use of such marker systems
in the genus Lepus are also discussed.