AMY2B copy number varies widely in wild Bosnian wolves, bears, and foxes

A preprint posted to bioRxiv from researchers examining wildlife in Bosnia and Herzegovina reports variation in copy number of the AMY2B gene — which encodes pancreatic amylase — across three wild carnivore species: wolves (Canis lupus), brown bears (Ursus arctos), and red foxes (Vulpes vulpes).

The study used droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) to quantify AMY2B copy number in blood samples from eight wolves, eleven brown bears, and three red foxes, and paired those data with serum amylase activity measurements. Previous work on AMY2B copy number variation (CNV) has focused largely on domestic dogs and pigs, species that co-evolved with humans under conditions of high dietary starch. This study extends the picture to wild populations that have limited anthropogenic starch exposure.

The findings contribute to the broader question of how copy number variation at metabolic loci is shaped by diet and domestication. Bears, which are dietary generalists with seasonal consumption of starchy plant material, showed particular interest as a comparison point against the more strictly carnivorous wolves and foxes. The authors note that their sample sizes are small, a limitation the study acknowledges, and the work has not yet undergone peer review.

For researchers working on comparative genomics, domestication genetics, or the evolution of copy number variation, the dataset adds a rarely studied geographic and taxonomic window. The ddPCR methodology described may also be of practical interest to conservation genomicists working with limited wildlife samples.