Spatial and temporal genetic homogeneity in the Arctic surfclam (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Mactromeris polynyma</Emphasis>)

Commercially harvested marine bivalve populations show a broad range of population-genetic patterns that may be driven by planktonic larval dispersal (gene flow) or by historical (genetic drift) and ecological processes (selection). We characterized microsatellite genetic variation among populations and year classes of the commercially harvested Arctic surfclam, Mactromeris polynyma, in order to test the relative significance of gene flow and drift on three spatial scales: within commercially harvested populations in the northwest Atlantic; among Atlantic populations; and between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. We found small nonsignificant genetic subdivision among eight populations from the northwest Atlantic (F _ST = 0.002). All of these Atlantic populations were highly significantly differentiated from a northeast Pacific population (F _ST = 0.087); all populations showed high inbreeding coefficients (F _IS = 0.432). We tested one likely source of heterozygote deficits by aging individual clams and exploring genetic variation among age classes within populations (a temporal Wahlund effect). Populations showed strikingly different patterns of age structure, but we found little differentiation among age classes. In one case, we were able to analyze genetic diversity between age classes older or younger than the advent of intensive commercial harvesting. The results generally suggest spatially broad and temporally persistent genetic homogeneity of these bivalves. We discuss the implications of the results for the biology and management of surfclam populations. Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Population structure of loggerhead turtle (Carettacaretta) nesting colonies in the Atlantic and Mediterranean as inferred from mitochondrial DNA control region sequences

Mitochondrial (mt) DNA control region sequences were analyzed for 249 Atlantic and Mediterranean loggerhead turtles (Carettacaretta Linnaeus, 1758) to elucidate nesting population structure and phylogeographic patterns. Ten haplotypes were resolved among individuals sampled between 1987 and 1993, from ten major loggerhead nesting areas in the region. Two distinct phylogenetic lineages were distinguished, separated by an average of 5.1% sequence divergence. Haplotype frequency comparisons between pairs of populations showed significant differentiation between most regional nesting aggregates and revealed six demographically independent groups, corresponding to nesting beaches from: (1) North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and northeast Florida, USA; (2) southern Florida, USA; (3) northwest Florida, USA; (4) Quintana Roo, Mexico; (5) Bahia, Brazil; and (6) Peloponnesus Island, Greece. The distribution of mtDNA haplotypes is consistent with a natal homing scenario, in which nesting colonies separated by a few hundred kilometers represent isolated reproductive aggregates. However, a strong exception to this pattern was observed in the first group defined by mtDNA data (North Carolina to northeast Florida), which included samples from four nesting locations spread across thousands of kilometers of coastline. These locations were characterized by a single haplotype in 104 out of 105 samples, providing inadequate resolution of population divisions. In view of the subdivisions observed elsewhere, we attribute the lack of differentiation between North Carolina and northeast Florida to recent colonization of these warm temperate coastlines (after the Wisconsin glaciation) not to ongoing gene flow among spatially distinct nesting locations. The relationships among observed haplotypes suggest a biogeographic scenario defined by climate, natal homing, and rare dispersal events. The redefined relationships among nesting aggregations in the western Atlantic region (southeastern USA and adjacent Mexico) prompt a reconsideration of management strategies for nesting populations and corresponding habitats in this region. Received: 28 October 1996 / Accepted: 24 October 1997     

Colonization of the northwest Atlantic by the blue mussel, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Mytilus trossulus</Emphasis> postdates the last glacial maximum

Blue mussels in the genus Mytilus first arrived in the Atlantic Ocean from the Pacific during the Pliocene, following the opening of the Bering Strait. Repeated periods of glaciation throughout the Pleistocene led to re-isolation of the two ocean basins and the allopatric divergence of Mytilus edulis in the Atlantic and M. trossulus in the Pacific. Mytilus trossulus has subsequently colonized the northwest Atlantic (NW Atlantic) so that the two species are presently sympatric and hybridize throughout much of the Canadian Maritimes and the Gulf of Maine. To estimate when M. trossulus arrived in the NW Atlantic, we have examined sequence variation within a portion of the female mtDNA lineage large untranslated region (F-LUR) for 156 mussels sampled from three Pacific and eleven Atlantic populations of M. trossulus. Although we found no evidence of reciprocal monophyly for Pacific and NW Atlantic M. trossulus, limited gene flow between ocean basins has led to the divergence of unique sequence clades within each ocean basin. In contrast, relative genetic homogeneity indicates high levels of gene flow within each basin. Coalescence-based analysis of the F-LUR sequences suggests that M. trossulus recolonized the NW Atlantic from the northeast Pacific subsequent to a demographic expansion in the Pacific that occurred ~96,000 years before present (ybp). Estimates of timing of divergence for Pacific and NW Atlantic populations and the time since expansion among NW Atlantic sequence clades indicate that M. trossulus arrived in the NW Atlantic more recently, between 20,000 and 46,000 ybp. Given that these estimates overlap with the dates of peak ice in the NW Atlantic during the last glacial maximum (LGM, ~18,000–21,000 ybp), we suggest that colonization of the NW Atlantic by M. trossulus occurred during, but more likely just subsequent to, the LGM and was followed by rapid temporal and spatial expansion in the region.     

Genetic uniformity of widely separated populations of the coral reef starfishLinckia laevigata from the East Indian and West Pacific Oceans,revealed by allozyme electrophoresis

Gene flow among 18 widely separated populations of the starfishLinckia laevigata was investigated using allozyme electrophoresis at seven polymorphic enzyme loci. Little genetic differentiation was observed among East Indian-West Pacific populations separated by thousands of kilometres. Gene flow was estimated to be of the same order of magnitude as that found in the highly connected Great Barrier Reef region. The absence of genetic structure over such a broad geographic range is consistent with any of three conclusions: (1) there is extensive dispersal among widely separated populations across the range examined, (2) there has been a rapid expansion of the East Indian-West Pacific populations in the recent past, or (3) the loci surveyed are under the influence of balancing selection. The first two conclusions are not totally exclusive, since a recent expansion over several thousand generations would also require rapid dispersal at some stage, although present-day levels of dispersal need not be of the same order. With the available data, it is not possible to distinguish which of these mechanisms is the most likely. The most parsimonious conclusion is that extremely low levels of population differentiation are consistent with the existence of a large, homogeneous, panmictic population, with extensive dispersal occurring throughout the East Indian-West Pacific.     

Population structure of the common sole (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Solea solea</Emphasis>) in the Northeastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean Sea: revisiting the divide with EPIC markers

Spatial and temporal population genetic structures of the common sole, Solea solea, were studied in Northeastern Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea populations, using three polymorphic exon-primed intron-crossing (EPIC) markers. Results demonstrated significant multilocus differentiation among Eastern Mediterranean and a group composed by Western Mediterranean and Atlantic populations (θ = 0.150, P < 0.001), but also suggested unrecorded genetic differentiation of the Adriatic Sea population. No pattern of isolation-by-distance was recorded across the range covered by sampling, from the Kattegat to the Aegean Sea. Conversely to genetically structured Mediterranean populations, Atlantic populations ranging from Denmark to Portugal could be considered as representative of the same panmictic unit (θ = 0.009, not significant). Results further demonstrated stability of multilocus genetic structure among temporarily replicated cohort samples [0+, 1+, subadults] from several coastal and estuarine locations from Bay of Biscay, excepted for the amylase locus Am2B3-2 at one location (Pertuis d’Antioche). Despite coherence of such observed patterns of multilocus differentiation with previous allozymic surveys in sole, and with patterns generally obtained for other marine fish species, single-locus results from EPICs indicated divergent coalescence schemes supporting a complex response to ecology and history of sole’s populations. Results stress the use of nuclear genes such as EPIC markers to investigate population structure, but also historical, demographic, and possibly selective processes in marine fishes.     

Allozyme variation in European populations of the oyster Ostrea edulis

Variations at 22 enzyme coding loci were surveyed in 11 populations of the oyster Ostrea edulis L., which were sampled between 1988 and 1990 along the Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts of Europe. Atlantic oyster beds suffered a steady decline during the last century, and restocking of beds with oysters of foreign origin has probably resulted in a high degree of interbreeding of natural oyster stocks from all Atlantic Europe. Our study confirms the low levels of genetic variability previously reported for the oyster populations from the Atlantic coasts, and extends it to the Mediterranean coasts. The locus arginine-kinase (ARK ^*) exhibited a high degree of interpopulation differentiation (F _ST=0.289), resulting from extensive variation in gene frequencies along a geographical cline. However, the overall genetic differentiation between populations was slight, and similar to that reported for other local populations of bivalves (mean genetic distance between populations is 0.010, mean F _ST=0.062). A general pattern of increasing differentiation along the coastline in an Atlantic-mediterranean direction emerged; but genetic differentiation among the Atlantic populations was not significantly lower than that observed among the Mediterranean populations. This and other results suggest that the effects of extensive transplantation of oysters among various areas in Europe are detectable only in some particular localities. The geographical distribution of low-frequency alleles suggests a restriction to gene flow outwards from the Mediterranean Sea, across the Straits of Gibraltar.     

New insights on population genetic structure of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Delphinus delphis</Emphasis> from the northeast Atlantic and phylogenetic relationships within the genus inferred from two mitochondrial markers

The taxonomic status of common dolphins (Delphinus sp.) remains controversial despite the increased number of studies focusing on its populations. Two species are presently recognized, Delphinus delphis and D. capensis. Apart from a phylogeographic study of the genus Delphinus, genetic studies focusing specifically in the northeast (NE) Atlantic remain scarce. Following ecological and morphological evidence for the existence of different common dolphin morphotypes in the Portuguese coast, we examined the population structure of D. delphis from the NE Atlantic by comparing DNA sequences from two mitochondrial regions (control region and cytochrome b gene). Additionally, we compared the sequences obtained with existing sequences of D. delphis from the Azores, Black Sea, Canary Islands, Pacific Ocean, D. capensis and also two closely related delphinid species (Stenella coeruleoalba and Tursiops truncatus). In the analysis of the NE Atlantic populations, we found evidence for the existence of some level of genetic differentiation. In the broader phylogenetic analysis, D. delphis and D. capensis did not show reciprocal monophyly and we found a group of highly divergent individuals. We discuss the possibility for the existence of two divergent lineages that have evolved independently, a separate subspecies or events of introgressive hybridization. These findings could have important implications on a taxonomic level, although further investigation based on a larger geographical scale and on nuclear loci information will certainly elucidate the origin of these highly divergent individuals.     

Inter-oceanic genetic differentiation among albacore (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Thunnus alalunga</Emphasis>) populations

Albacore (Thunnus alalunga) is a highly migratory pelagic species distributed in all tropical and temperate oceans. Recent analyses using both mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and nuclear DNA markers have demonstrated genetic subdivision within and between Atlantic and Pacific populations. However, although numerous biological differences have been reported for Atlantic and Mediterranean albacore, the genetic differentiation for these basins has not been demonstrated. We characterized 373 base pairs of nucleotide sequence from the mitochondrial DNA control region of 134 individuals collected in the Pacific (n=30), the northeast (NE) Atlantic (n=54) and the Mediterranean (n=50). Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) revealed a small, but highly significant, proportion of genetic variation separating these three regions (_st =0.041; P=0.009), a pattern also supported by pairwise comparisons. These results demonstrate for the first time the genetic distinctiveness of the Mediterranean albacore from the NE Atlantic population giving support to the current management practices based on separate units. This outcome is concordant with reported migratory movements related to reproductive behavior between the NE Atlantic and the Mediterranean Sea. Additionally, the phylogenetic analyses of DNA sequences revealed the presence of a shallow genetic discontinuity with no geographic association. These two phylogroups are more likely the result of the demographic history of this species (i.e. long demographic stable history) as opposed to historical vicariance as has been proposed for other highly migratory fishes.Communicated by P.W. Sammarco, Chauvin     

Phylogeography of surfclams,<Emphasis Type="Italic"> Spisula solidissima</Emphasis>, in the western North Atlantic based on mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequences

The Atlantic surfclam, Spisula solidissima (Dillwyn), is broadly distributed in sandy sediments of the western North Atlantic between the Gulf of St. Lawrence and the Gulf of Mexico. In the United States, a substantial commercial fishery between Long Island and Cape Hatteras harvests offshore populations of one subspecies, S. s. solidissima. A smaller coastal form, S. s. similis Say (also known as S. s. raveneli Conrad), has a partially sympatric geographic distribution, but differs in several life-history characteristics. DNA sequence variation in mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I (COI) and in introns at two nuclear calmodulin loci was examined to measure genetic divergence between the two subspecies and to test for population structure among populations of S. s. solidissima. Surfclams were collected from seven localities between 1994 and 2001. Based on both mitochondrial and nuclear DNA variation, the two subspecies of S. solidissima are reciprocally monophyletic, with a net COI divergence of 13.9%, indicating long-term reproductive isolation. The only significant differentiation among populations of S. s. solidissima (based on an AMOVA analysis of COI sequences) was between the Gulf of St. Lawrence and more southerly populations. A long internal branch in the S. s. solidissima genealogy coupled with low haplotype diversity in the northern-most population suggests that populations north and south of Nova Scotia have been isolated from each other in the past, with gene exchange more recently. Populations of S. s. similis from Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coasts had a net COI divergence of 9.2%. Thus, diversification of Spisula spp. clams in the western North Atlantic involved an early adaptive divergence between coastal and offshore forms, with later barriers to dispersal emerging in the offshore form from north to south and in the coastal form between Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico populations.     

Phylogeography and demographic history of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Atherina presbyter</Emphasis> (Pisces: Atherinidae) in the North-eastern Atlantic based on mitochondrial DNA

A fragment of the mitochondrial control region was used to assess phylogeographic patterns and historical demography of the sand-smelt Atherina presbyter in the North-eastern Atlantic, covering its geographical range. A striking result is the highly marked differentiation between the Canary Islands population and western European ones. A genetic structure among European populations of A. presbyter was revealed, with a pattern of isolation-by-distance or a gradient effect at a scale of hundreds kilometres, an uncommon pattern likely related to the biological and life-history traits of the sand-smelt. The northern European populations present a much lower genetic diversity when compared to southern populations, which is consistent with a recent colonization from southern populations. The results showed signs of Pleistocene signatures, with the population age estimates for the European populations being clearly older than the Last Glacial Maximum (18,000 years bp). Nevertheless, paleotemperature reconstructions show that the sand-smelt could not have inhabited the western European shores during the last glacial phase. Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

DNA markers indicate that distinct spawning cohorts and aggregations of Patagonian squid,<Emphasis Type="Italic"> Loligo gahi</Emphasis>, do not represent genetically discrete subpopulations

The Patagonian squid, Loligo gahi DOrbigny, has been described as having temporally and spatially identifiable spawning aggregations. Variation at six microsatellite loci was used to assess whether seasonal and geographical spawning groups around the Falkland Islands represent distinct sub-populations. Genetic variation at these loci is high in this species (mean expected heterozygosity=0.87; mean number of alleles=14.7). No evidence of significantly different allele frequencies was found, either between samples from putative spawning cohorts or geographical areas, indicating that L.gahi around the Falkland Islands comprise a single genetically homogeneous population. Age structure analysis of samples (from statolith growth increments) indicated substantial spread in hatching dates among individuals of similar size and maturity status, suggesting the potential for extensive interbreeding between seasonal cohorts. A sample of L.gahi from the SE Pacific (Peru) displayed distinctly different gene frequencies (and allele size distribution at one locus) from SW Atlantic samples, supporting the suggestion that SE Pacific and SW Atlantic populations may represent distinct subspecies.Contributed by J.P. Thorpe, Port Erin     

Mitochondrial DNA phylogeography of the harbour porpoise Phocoena phocoena in the North Pacific

Genetic structure and phylogeography of the harbour porpoise Phocoena phocoena in the North Pacific were examined using 358 bps sequences from the 5′ end of the mitochondrial DNA control region including those reported previously and newly obtained from the west Pacific. AMOVA and pairwise population φ _st estimates clearly revealed genetic differentiation between an east/south and a north/northwest group with the break along the Pacific Rim at British Columbia. In addition, nested clade phylogeographical analysis, neutrality tests, mismatch distribution analysis, genetic diversities and Mantel test, suggested that the observed genetic structure might have been influenced by contiguous range expansion with restricted gene flow in the direction from south to north along the North American coasts and east to west along the Pacific Rim in the middle to late Pleistocene.     

Genetic affinities of the bivalve Macoma balthica from the Pacific coast of North America: evidence for recent introduction and historical distribution

The tellinid bivalve Macoma balthica (L.) has an extensive geographic range that reaches from temperate to arctic coastal waters in the North Atlantic and North Pacific oceans. Recent studies have indicated that eastern and western North Atlantic populations are morphologically and genetically different from one another, and that they may have diverged as sibling species. To determine the genetic relationship between M. balthica from the Pacific and Atlantic coasts of North America, populations from each coast were examined at 11 enzyme loci using standard starch gel electrophoresis. Allele frequency data indicate that M. balthica populations from San Francisco Bay, California appear more closely related to western North Atlantic populations than to populations from Oregon. We suggest that San Francisco Bay populations were introduced relatively recently from western North Atlantic populations. The Oregon populations are probably a natural extension of northern populations that occur along Northern Asia and in the eastern North Atlantic.     

New expansions in old clades: population genetics and phylogeny of Gnatholepis species (Teleostei: Gobioidei) in the Pacific

Species of the reef goby genus Gnatholepis exhibit enormous geographic ranges with little evidence of population segregation detectable based on mitochondrial DNA. To determine if genetic differentiation is evident with more rapidly evolving markers, seven microsatellite loci were screened from the species Gnatholepis anjerensis and G. scapulostigma and population segregation was tested among fish from across the South Pacific. Both AMOVA and pairwise F _ST analyses showed that, in concordance with previous mitochondrial results, most genetic variance occurs within individual populations, as population differentiation is evident only over the largest distances (>3,700 km). This result is contrasted with previous studies demonstrating that despite their relatively long larval periods, some gobiid fishes exhibit population differentiation on small (<100 km) geographic scales. Coalescence analysis showed that current Pacific populations of these species originated in the Pleistocene, presumably related to sea level fluctuations associated with episodes of glaciation. However, rate analysis based on a phylogeny of Gnatholepis species indicates that the species themselves are much older, consistent with a complex history of rapid, short-term population contractions and expansions, with corresponding rapid dispersal.     

Molecular genetic variation in tarpon (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Megalops atlanticus</Emphasis> Valenciennes) in the northern Atlantic Ocean

The tarpon (Megalops atlanticus) is a highly valued game fish and occasional food fish in the eastern and western Atlantic Ocean. Tarpon have a high capacity for dispersal, but some regional biological differences have been reported. In this study we used two molecular genetic techniques—protein electrophoresis of nuclear DNA loci, and restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis of the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA)—to assess this species population genetic structure in the eastern (coastal waters off Gabon and Sierra Leone, Africa) and western (coastal waters off Florida, Caribbean Sea) Atlantic Ocean north of the equator. Genetic differentiation was observed between tarpon from Africa and tarpon from the western Atlantic Ocean. A unique allele and haplotype, significant differences in allozyme allele and mtDNA haplotype frequencies between the African and western Atlantic samples, and significant F_ST analyses suggest that levels of gene flow between tarpon from these two regions is low. Among the western Atlantic Ocean collections, genetic diversity values and allele and haplotype frequencies were similar. AMOVA analyses also showed a degree of genetic relatedness among most of the western Atlantic Ocean collections: however, some significant population structuring was detected in the allozyme data. A regional jackknifed F_ST analysis indicated the distinction of the Costa Rica population from the other western Atlantic populations and, in pairwise analyses, F_ST values tended to be higher (i.e., genetic relatedness was lower) when the Costa Rican sample was paired with any of the other western Atlantic samples. These data suggest that Costa Rican tarpon could be partially isolated from other western Atlantic tarpon populations. Ultimately, international cooperation will be essential in the management of this species in both the eastern and western Atlantic Ocean.Communicated by P.W. Sammarco, Chauvin     

Population genetic structure of escolar (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Lepidocybium flavobrunneum</Emphasis>)

Escolar (Lepidocybium flavobrunneum) is a large, mesopelagic fish that inhabits tropical and temperate seas throughout the world, and is a common bycatch in pelagic longline fisheries that target tuna and swordfish. Few studies have explored the biology and natural history of escolar, and little is known regarding its population structure. To evaluate the genetic basis of population structure of escolar throughout their range, we surveyed genetic variation over an 806 base pair fragment of the mitochondrial control region. In total, 225 individuals from six geographically distant locations throughout the Atlantic (Gulf of Mexico, Brazil, South Africa) and Pacific (Ecuador, Hawaii, Australia) were analyzed. A neighbor-joining tree of haplotypes based on maximum likelihood distances revealed two highly divergent clades (δ = 4.85%) that were predominantly restricted to the Atlantic and Indo-Pacific ocean basins. All Atlantic clade individuals occurred in the Atlantic Ocean and all but four Pacific clade individuals were found in the Pacific Ocean. The four Atlantic escolar with Pacific clade haplotypes were found in the South Africa collection. The nuclear ITS-1 gene region of these four individuals was subsequently analyzed and compared to the ITS-1 gene region of four individuals from the South Africa collection with Atlantic clade haplotypes as well as four representative individuals each from the Atlantic and Pacific collections. The four South Africa escolar with Pacific mitochondrial control region haplotypes all had ITS-1 gene region sequences that clustered with the Pacific escolar, suggesting that they were recent migrants from the Indo-Pacific. Due to the high divergence and geographic separation of the Atlantic and Pacific clades, as well as reported morphological differences between Atlantic and Indo-Pacific specimens, consideration of the Atlantic and Indo-Pacific populations as separate species or subspecies may be warranted, though further study is necessary.     

Mitochondrial evolution and phylogeography in the hydrozoan<Emphasis Type="Italic"> Obelia geniculata</Emphasis> (Cnidaria)

The distribution and genetic structure of many marine invertebrates in the North Atlantic have been influenced by the Pleistocene glaciation, which caused local extinctions followed by recolonization in warmer periods. Mitochondrial DNA markers are typically used to reconstruct species histories. Here, two mitochondrial markers [16S rDNA and cytochrome c oxidase I (COI)] were used to study the evolution of the widely distributed hydrozoan Obelia geniculata (Linnaeus, 1758) from the North Atlantic and the Pacific and, more specifically, in the context of North Atlantic phylogeography. Samples were collected from six geographic localities between 1998 and 2002. Hydroids from the North Atlantic, North Pacific (Japan), and South Pacific (New Zealand) are reciprocally monophyletic and may represent cryptic species. Using portions of the 16S rDNA and COI genes and the date of the last trans-Arctic interchange (3.1–4.1 million years ago), the first calibrated rate of nucleotide substitutions in hydrozoans is presented. Whereas extremely low substitution rates have been reported in other cnidarians, mainly based on anthozoans, substitution rates in O. geniculata are comparable to other invertebrates. Despite a life history that ostensibly permits substantial dispersal, there is apparently considerable genetic differentiation in O. geniculata. Divergence estimates and the presence of unique haplotypes provide evidence for glacial refugia in Iceland and New Brunswick, Canada. A population in Massachusetts, USA, appears to represent a relatively recent colonization event.Communicated by J.P. Grassle, New Brunswick     

Genetic differentiation ofMytilus edulis in eastern North America

There is significant differentiation at five polymorphic loci ofMytilus edulis among certain geographical areas of the Atlantic coast of North America. Non-metric multidimensional numerical methods distinguished three population groups: (I) populations south of Cape Cod, (II) populations throughout the Gulf of Maine, Gulf of St. Lawrence, areas of both southern and northern Newfoundland, and southern Hudson Bay, and (III) populations in southeastern Nova Scotia, northern Newfoundland and Hudson Strait, Quebec. Each subset consists of populations that exhibit characteristic multilocus, multiple allele genotypes. Populations in Groups II and III are spatially interdigitated among each other. At least one geographical area of mixing between genetically distinct populations occurs in northeastern Newfoundland. There is no evidence for interbreeding among genetically distinct individuals in mixed populations, suggesting the possibility that populations in the Atlantic Canadian Provinces and areas of northern Canada may consist of two distinct species.     

Post-glacial population history and genetic structure of the northern clingfish (Gobbiesox maeandricus), revealed from mtDNA analysis

Mitochondrial d-loop sequences were analyzed to characterize the phylogeographic and population genetic structure of the northern clingfish (Gobbiesox maeandricus Girard). Sequence analysis of 378 bp from 111 individuals sampled in 14 localities along the northeast Pacific coast and within the Strait of Georgia from 1996 to 1999 revealed marked genetic differentiation (Φ_ct=0.247) among regional population groupings. The gene genealogy distinguished two major clades of haplotypes separated by at least 1.1% sequence divergence. One clade with very low haplotype diversity (h=0.2095, n=18) occurred only within the recently unglaciated Strait of Georgia. The other clade had high haplotype diversity (h=0.8808, n=93) and was found in all populations. High haplotype diversity was found in open coastal populations, both north and south of the maximum extant of the Wisconsin ice sheet, suggesting that the clingfish range was not pushed to a southern refugium during the last glacial maximum. A nested clade analysis also did not detect a large northward expansion from a single southern refugium. The level of sequence divergence and coalescent-based analyses suggest that the observed patterns of polymorphism are the result of Pleistocene diversification within multiple refugia, followed by population expansion and asymmetrical lineage introgression. Received: 5 February 2000 / Accepted: 31 August 2000     

Genetic structure and phylogeography of the lined shore crab, Pachygrapsus crassipes, along the northeastern and western Pacific coasts

Marine invertebrates with high larval dispersal capacity typically exhibit low degrees of population differentiation, which reflects both contemporary and historical processes. We sampled 346 individuals from seven populations of the lined shore crab, Pachygrapsus crassipes Randall, along the northeastern Pacific Coast and Korea during summer 2003. DNA sequence analysis of 613 bp of the mitochondrial COI gene showed that overall gene diversity (h) was high (0.92±0.01), whereas overall nucleotide diversity (π) was low (0.009±0.005). A total of 154 mtDNA haplotypes were identified; however, 114 were present in only one individual. Analysis of molecular variance revealed significant genetic structuring at Point Conception, CA, USA, that is likely due to the oceanographic circulation patterns, which result in asymmetrical migration of haplotypes. However, genetic variation among eastern Pacific populations was generally low, probably because of high contemporary gene flow and recent common ancestry of haplotypes. Mismatch analysis and nested clade analysis suggested that the population history of this region is characterized by two contiguous northwards range expansions, which are congruent with Late Pleistocene glacial cycles. Highly significant genetic differentiation was detected between eastern Pacific populations and Korea, indicating transpacific gene flow is restricted. Time of divergence between the two transpacific lineages was estimated between 0.8 and 1.2 Myrs ago. The small, recently founded population of P. crassipes at Bamfield, BC, Canada, did not appear to have undergone a founder effect.