o:2763 Past, present and future of chamois science en The chamois Rupicapra spp. is the most abundant mountain ungulate of Europe and the Near East, where it occurs as two species, the northern chamois R. rupicapra and the southern chamois R. pyrenaica. Here, we provide a state-of-the-art overview of research trends and the most challenging issues in chamois research and conservation, focusing on taxonomy and systematics, genetics, life history, ecology and behavior, physiology and disease, management and conservation. Research on Rupicapra has a longstanding history and has contributed substantially to the biological and ecological knowledge of mountain ungulates. Although the number of publications on this genus has markedly increased over the past two decades, major differences persist with respect to knowledge of species and subspecies, with research mostly focusing on the Alpine chamois R. r. rupicapra and, to a lesser extent, the Pyrenean chamois R. p. pyrenaica. In addition, a scarcity of replicate studies of populations of different subspecies and/or geographic areas limits the advancement of chamois science. Since environmental heterogeneity impacts behavioral, physiological and life history traits, understanding the underlying processes would be of great value from both an evolutionary and conservation/management standpoint, especially in the light of ongoing climatic change. Substantial contributions to this challenge may derive from a quantitative assessment of reproductive success, investigation of fine-scale foraging patterns, and a mechanistic understanding of disease outbreak and resilience. For improving conservation status, resolving taxonomic disputes, identifying subspecies hybridization, assessing the impact of hunting and establishing reliable methods of abundance estimation are of primary concern. Despite being one of the most well-known mountain ungulates, substantial field efforts to collect paleontological, behavioral, ecological, morphological, physiological and genetic data on different populations and subspecies are still needed to ensure a successful future for chamois research and conservation. Infectious Keratoconjunctivitis; Reproductive Success; Rupicapra-Rupicapra; Mortality Patterns; Mating Strategies; Northern Chamois; Alpine; Pyrenaica; Ungulate; Population 1552099 10.1002/wlb3.01025 2024-03-25T10:38:29.694Z 44 yes 46 L. Corlatti 0000-0002-2706-3875 N. Šprem University of Zagreb person 0000-0002-3475-6653 T. Zwijacz‐Kozica Tatra National Park person 0000-0002-7488-975X Y. Yankov Trakia University person T. Tešija University of Zagreb person 0000-0002-5422-1306 S. Stipoljev University of Zagreb person 0000-0003-4635-6777 A. Rezić University of Zagreb person 0000-0001-6643-7895 R. Reiner person 0000-0003-1016-9347 B. Pokorny person 0000-0002-2981-5516 W. Peters Bavarian State Institute of Forestry person 0000-0002-7105-428X C. Miller Deutsche Wildtier Stiftung person A. Malagnino person 0000-0002-6583-700X F. Lioce person A. Kinser Deutsche Wildtier Stiftung person K. Kavčić University of Zagreb person 0000-0002-2907-3911 H. C. Hauffec Fondazione Edmund Mach person 0000-0003-3098-8964 S. Grignolio University of Ferrara person 0000-0002-0786-2004 L. Grassi University of Padua person D. Gačić University of Belgrade person 0000-0003-0434-6562 S. Friedrich person D. Fernández de Luco University of Zaragoza person 0000-0003-3289-4267 J. Espunyes Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona person 0000-0002-8692-1593 B. Crestanello Fondazione Edmund Mach person 0000-0003-1610-8692 A. Cotza University of Siena person 0000-0002-6092-9079 R. Chirichella University of Sassari person 0000-0001-6734-5319 F. Brivio University of Sassari person 0000-0002-1449-8335 M. C. Arnal University of Zaragoza person 0000-0002-6770-3400 E. Serrano person 0000-0002-9799-9804 L. Rossi University of Turin person J. Herrero University of Zaragoza person S. E. Hammer University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna person 0000-0003-1475-3938 F. Ferretti University of Siena person 0000-0002-0414-1615 E. Buzan person 0000-0003-0714-5301 M. Apollonio University of Sassari person 0000-0002-8953-9138 L. Iacolina person 0000-0001-5504-6549 T. Safner person 0000-0001-8645-5273 application/pdf 559624 https://phaidra.vetmeduni.ac.at/o:2763 no yes 16 70 1552253 Wildlife Biology 13 2022 4 Nordic Council of Wildlife Research 2022