Caratteristiche del volo, condizione genetica, aspetti etologici-riproduttivi e condizione di stress nel grifone(Gyps fulvus) in Sardegna

The present Ph.D. thesis was focused on an animal species of high ecological value, the griffon vulture (Gyps fulvus), presents in Sardinia in an area of ​​great naturalistic importance and included in the Natura 2000 network. The research has a multidisciplinary approach with the combination of ethology, genetics, endocrinology, anatomy and physiology aspects.First, we conducted a field study, analysing the ethology and the reproductive characteristics. The differences observed in the reproductive success among the six colonies examined led us to undertake a study on the feathers concentrations of Cortisol and DHEA to assess the animal health stress condition. This approach could represent an additional non-invasive model to investigate the well-being of the colonies.This large body size species, moves only through a static flight, and only exceptionally can it be observed in beating its wings. This interesting aspect has led us to perform both a study on the structural characteristics of the bones of the wing and a genetic survey of the population. In fact, due to the type of flight, the griffon has difficulty in crossing the stretches of seas. Therefore, it is consequently genetically subjected to the phenomena of isolation. We conducted an analysis of genetic characterization of griffon populations in Sardinia and two other islands of the Mediterranean (Cyprus and Crete) and studied the frequency variations of haplotypes in Sardinia before and after 1986, when through repopulation actions, griffons were introduced coming from the European continent.