About the Authors

Małgorzata Pilot

Affiliation School of Life Sciences, University of Lincoln, Brayford Pool, Lincoln, United Kingdom

Michał J. Dąbrowski

Affiliations Museum and Institute of Zoology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warszawa, Poland, Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden

Vahram Hayrapetyan

Affiliation Stepanakert Branch of the Armenian National Agrarian University, Stepanakert, Armenia

Eduard G. Yavruyan

Affiliation Scientific Centre of Zoology and Hydroecology, National Academy of Sciences of Armenia, Yerevan, Armenia

Natia Kopaliani

Affiliation Institute of Ecology, Ilia State University, Tbilisi, Georgia

Elena Tsingarska

Affiliation BALKANI Wildlife Society, Sofia, Bulgaria

Barbara Bujalska

Affiliation Museum and Institute of Zoology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warszawa, Poland

Stanisław Kamiński

Affiliation Department of Animal Genetics, University of Warmia and Mazury, Olsztyn, Poland

Wiesław Bogdanowicz

wieslawb@miiz.waw.pl

Affiliation Museum and Institute of Zoology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warszawa, Poland

Competing Interests

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Author Contributions

Conceived and designed the experiments: WB MP. Analyzed the data: MP MJD. Contributed reagents/materials/analysis tools: WB EGY VH NK SK ET MP. Wrote the paper: MP. Carried out the laboratory analyses: MJD BB SK. Secured funding: WB. Contributed to the final version of the manuscript: MP WB MJD NK EGY VH ET SK BB.