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1.
Jennifer K. Schultz Richard L. Pyle Edward DeMartini Brian W. Bowen 《Marine Biology》2007,151(1):167-175
Color variation is used in taxonomic classification of reef fishes, but it may not reliably indicate evolutionary divergence.
In the central Pacific, there are three color morphs of the flame angelfish, Centropyge loriculus: a red morph that occurs primarily in the Hawaiian archipelago, the endemic Marquesan color morph with reduced black markings,
and an orange morph that occurs throughout the rest of Oceania. The red and orange morphs co-occur at Johnston Atoll (1,300 km
south of Hawai’i), but intermediate forms have not been reported. To determine whether the three color morphs represent distinct
evolutionary lineages, we compared 641 base pairs of mitochondrial cytochrome b. Forty-one closely related haplotypes were observed in 116 individuals. Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) indicated
no significant genetic structure among color morphs (ΦST = 0.011, P = 0.147). Likewise, there was no significant pairwise structure between sampling locations, separated by up to 5,700 km,
after a Bonferroni correction (ΦST = 0.000–0.080, P = 0.0130–0.999). Genetic studies in conjunction with larval distribution data indicate that Centropyge species are highly dispersive. While there is a strong geographic component to the distribution of color morphs in C. loriculus, we find no evidence for corresponding genetic partitioning. We do not rule out an adaptive role for color differentiation,
but our data do not support emerging species. 相似文献
2.
This study investigated the utility of microsatellite markers for providing information on levels of population connectivity
for a low dispersing reef fish in New South Wales (NSW), Australia, at scales ≤400 km. It was hypothesized that the temperate
damselfish Parma
microlepis, which produces benthic eggs and has limited post-settlement dispersal, would exhibit spatial genetic structure and a significant
pattern of isolation-by-distance (IBD). A fully nested hierarchical sampling design incorporating three spatial scales (sites,
location and regions, separated by 1–2, 10–50 and 70–80 km respectively) was used to determine genetic variability at seven
microsatellite loci. Broad-scale genetic homogeneity and lack of IBD was well supported by single and multi-locus analyses.
The proportion of the total genetic variation attributable to differences among regions, locations or sites was effectively
zero (Φ/R-statistics ≤0.007). The geographic distribution of genetic diversity and levels of polymorphism (H
E 0.21–0.95) indicate high mutation rates, large effective population sizes, and high rates of gene flow. Significant gene
flow may be driven by factors influencing pre-settlement dispersal, including the East Australian Current (EAC) and habitat
continuity. Genetic connectivity may not reflect demographically important connectivity, but does imply that P. microlepis populations are well connected from an evolutionary perspective. Total observed genetic diversity was accounted for within
1–2 km of reef and could be represented within small Marine Protected Areas. Reef fishes in NSW which have life histories
similar to P. microlepis (e.g. pre-settlement durations ≥2 weeks) are also likely to exhibit genetic homogeneity. Genetic markers are, therefore,
most likely to provide information on demographically relevant connectivity for species with lower dispersal capabilities,
small population sizes, short life spans, and whose habitats are rare, or patchily distributed along-shore.
Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users. 相似文献
3.
Genetic differentiation among populations of a broadcast spawning soft coral, Sinularia flexibilis, on the Great Barrier Reef 总被引:2,自引:0,他引:2
The genetic structure of 12 reef populations of the soft coral Sinularia flexibilis (Octocorallia, Alcyoniidae) was studied along the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) at a maximum separation of 1,300 km to investigate
the relative importance of sexual and asexual reproduction, genetic differentiation and gene flow among these populations.
S. flexibilis is a widely distributed Indo-Pacific species and a gamete broadcaster that can form large aggregations of colonies on near-shore
reefs of the GBR. Up to 60 individuals per reef were collected at a minimum sampling scale of 5 m at two sites per reef, from
December 1998 to February 2000. Electrophoretic analyses of nine polymorphic allozymes indicated that genotypic frequencies
in most populations and loci did not differ significantly from those expected from Hardy–Weinberg predictions. Analysis of
multi-locus genotypes indicated a high number of unique genotypes (N
go) relative to the number of individuals sampled (N) in each reef population (range of 0.69–0.95). The maximum number of individuals likely to have been produced sexually (N*) was similar to the number of individuals sampled (i.e. N*:N ˜ 1), suggesting that even repeated genotypes may have been produced sexually. These results demonstrated a dominant role
of sexual reproduction in these populations at the scale sampled. Significant genetic differentiation between some populations
indicated that gene flow is restricted between some reefs (F
ST=0.026, 95% CI= 0.011 − 0.045) and even between sites within reefs (F
ST=0.041, 95% CI=0.027 − 0.055). Nevertheless, there was no relationship between geographic separation and genetic differentiation.
Analyses comparing groups of populations showed no significant differentiation on a north-south gradient in the GBR. The pattern
in the number of significant differences in gene frequencies in pairwise population comparisons, however, suggested that gene
flow may be more restricted among inner-shelf reef populations near to the coast than among mid/outer-shelf populations further
from the coast.
Received: 10 July 2000 / Accepted: 5 October 2000 相似文献
4.
The orange roughy Hoplostethus atlanticus is a well-known commercial species with a global distribution. There is no consensus about levels of connectivity among populations
despite a range of techniques having been applied. We used cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) and cytochrome b sequences to study genetic connectivity at a global scale. Pairwise ΦST analyses revealed a lack of significant differentiation among samples from New Zealand, Australia, Namibia, and Chile. However,
low but significant differentiation (ΦST = 0.02–0.13, P < 0.05) was found between two Northeast Atlantic sites and all the other sites with COI. AMOVA and the haplotype genealogy
confirmed these results. The prevalent lack of genetic differentiation is probably due to active adult dispersal under the
stepping-stone model. Demographic analyses suggested the occurrence of two expansion events during the Pleistocene period. 相似文献
5.
Reef habitats of the tropical Atlantic are separated by river outflows and oceanic expanses that may preclude larval dispersal or other population connections in shorefishes. To examine the impact of these habitat discontinuities on the intraspecific phylogeography of reef-associated species we conducted range-wide surveys of two amphi-Atlantic reef fishes that have dispersive pelagic larval stages. Based on 593 bp of mtDNA cytochrome b from the rock hind Epinephelus adscensionis and 682 bp from the greater soapfish Rypticus saponaceous (n=109 and 86, respectively), we found evidence of relatively ancient separations as well as recent surmounting of biogeographic barriers by dispersal or colonization. Rock hind showed slight but significant population genetic differentiation across much of the tropical Atlantic Ocean (ST=0.056), but deep divergence between the southeastern United States and seven other localities from the Bahamas to the south, central and east Atlantic (mean pairwise d=0.040, overall ST=0.867). The geographic distribution of the two rock hind lineages is highly unusual in genetic studies of Caribbean Sea reef fishes, because those lineages are separated by less than 250 km of open water within a major biogeographic region. In contrast, highly significant population genetic structure was observed among greater soapfish from the SW Caribbean, Brazil, and mid-Atlantic ridge (ST=0.372), with a deep evolutionary separation distinguishing putative R. saponaceous from West Africa (mean pairwise d=0.044, overall ST=0.929). Both species show evidence for a potential connection between the Caribbean and Brazilian provinces. While widespread haplotype sharing in rock hind indicates that larvae of this species cross oceanic expanses of as much as 2000 km, such a situation is difficult to reconcile with the isolation of populations in Florida and the Bahamas separated by only 250 km. These findings indicate that populations of some species in disjunct biogeographic zones may be isolated for long periods, perhaps sufficient for allopatric speciation, but rare gene flow between zones may preclude such evolutionary divergence in other species.Communicated by P.W. Sammarco, Chauvin 相似文献
6.
Mitochondrial control region (HVR-1) sequences were used to identify patterns of genetic structure and diversity in Naso vlamingii, a widespread coral reef fish with a long evolutionary history. We examined 113 individuals from eight locations across the Indo-Pacific Ocean. Our aims were to determine the spatial scale at which population partitioning occurred and then to evaluate the extent to which either vicariance and/or dispersal events have shaped the population structure of N. vlamingii. The analysis produced several unexpected findings. Firstly, the genetic structure of this species was temporal rather than spatial. Secondly, there was no evidence of a barrier to dispersal throughout the vast distribution range. Apparently larvae of this species traverse vicariance barriers that inhibit inter-oceanic migration of other widespread reef fish taxa. Thirdly, an unusual life history and long evolutionary history was associated with a population structure that was unique amongst coral reef fishes in terms of the magnitude and pattern of genetic diversity (haplotype diversity, h = 1.0 and nucleotide diversity π = 13.6%). In addition to these unique characteristics, there was no evidence of isolation by distance (r = 0.458, R
2 = 0.210, P = 0.078) as has also been shown for some other widespread reef species. However, some reductions in gene flow were observed among and within Ocean basins [Indian–Pacific analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA), Φ
st = 0.0766, P < 0.05; West Indian–East Indian–Pacific AMOVA Φ
st = 0.079, P < 0.05]. These findings are contrasted with recent studies of coral reef fishes that imply a greater degree of spatial structuring in coral reef fish populations than would be expected from the dispersive nature of their life cycles. We conclude that increased taxon sampling of coral reef fishes for phylogeographic analysis will provide an extended view of the ecological and evolutionary processes shaping coral reef fish diversity at both ends of the life history spectrum. 相似文献
7.
Current taxonomy indicates a single global species of the Great Barracuda (Sphyraena barracuda) despite differences in color and behavior between Atlantic and Pacific forms. To investigate these differences and qualify
the dispersal characteristics of this unique coastal–pelagic teleost (bony fish), we conducted a global phylogeographic survey
of 246 specimens from thirteen sampling locations using a 629-base pair fragment of mtDNA cytochrome b. Data indicate high overall gene flow in the Indo-Pacific over large distances (>16,500 km) bridging several biogeographic
barriers. The West Atlantic population contains an mtDNA lineage that is divergent from the Indo-Pacific (d = 1.9%), while the East Atlantic (N = 23) has two mutations (d = 0.6%) apart from the Indo-Pacific. While we cannot rule out distinct evolutionary partitions among ocean basins based on
behavior, coloration, and near-monophyly between Atlantic and Indo-Pacific subpopulations, more investigation is required
before taxonomic status is revised. Overall, the pattern of high global dispersal and connectivity in S. barracuda more closely resembles those reported for large oceanic predators than reef-associated teleosts. 相似文献
8.
Coupled bio-physical models of larval dispersal predict that the Costa Rica–Panama (CR–PAN) reefs should constitute a demographically
isolated region in the western Caribbean. We tested the hypothesis that CR–PAN coral reef fish populations would be isolated
from Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System (MBRS) populations. To test that, we assessed population genetic structure in bicolor
damselfish (Stegastes partitus) from both regions. Adult fish were genotyped from five reefs in CR–PAN and from four reefs along the MBRS at 12 microsatellite
loci. Between-region F
ST (F
ST = 0.0030, P < 0.005) and exact test (x
2 = 74.34, df = 18, P < 0.0001) results indicated that there is weak but significant genetic differentiation between regions, suggesting some restriction
in connectivity along the Central American coastline, as predicted by bio-oceanographic models. Additionally, there is among-site
genetic structure in the CR–PAN region, relative to the MBRS and between regions, suggesting higher self-recruitment within
CR–PAN. This finding may be explained by differences in habitat characteristics. 相似文献
9.
Pelagic dispersal of larvae in sessile marine invertebrates could in principle lead to a homogeneous gene pool over vast distances,
yet there is increasing evidence of surprisingly high levels of genetic differentiation on small spatial scale. To evaluate
whether larval dispersal is spatially limited and correlated with distance, we conducted a study on the widely distributed,
viviparous reef coral Seriatopora hystrix from the Red Sea where we investigated ten populations separated between ~0.150 km and ~610 km. We addressed these questions
with newly developed, highly variable microsatellite markers. We detected moderate genetic differentiation among populations
based on both F
ST and R
ST (0.089 vs. 0.136, respectively) as well as considerable heterozygote deficits. Mantel tests revealed isolation by distance
effects on a small geographic scale (≤20 km), indicating limited dispersal of larvae. Our data did not reveal any evidence
against strictly sexual reproduction among the studied populations. 相似文献
10.
Prevailing oceanographic processes, pelagic larvae, adult mobility, and large populations of many marine species often leads
to the assumption of wide-ranging populations. Applying this assumption to more localized populations can lead to inappropriate
conservation measures. The Pacific ocean perch (Sebastes alutus, POP) is economically and ecologically valuable, but little is known about its population structure and life history in Alaskan
waters. Fourteen microsatellite loci were used to characterize geographic structure and connectivity of POP collections (1999–2005)
sampled along the continental shelf break from Dixon Entrance to the Bering Sea. Despite opportunities for dispersal, there
was significant, geographically related genetic structure (F
ST = 0.0123, P < 10−5). Adults appear to belong to neighborhoods at geographic scales less than 400 km, and possibly as small as 70 km, which indicates
limited dispersal throughout their lives. The population structure observed has a finer geographic scale than current management,
which suggests that measures for POP fisheries conservation should be revisited. 相似文献
11.
Samples of the Antarctic octopus Pareledone turqueti were taken from three locations on the Scotia Ridge in the Southern Ocean. The genetic homogeneity of these populations was
investigated using isozyme electrophoresis. Whilst panmixia appeared to be maintained around South Georgia (F
ST = 0) gene flow between this island and Shag Rocks, an island only 150 km away but separated by great depths, was extremely
limited (F
ST = 0.74). These results are examined with respect to the discontinuous distribution of P. turqueti throughout Antarctica. An estimate of effective population size was also calculated (N
e = 3600).
Received: 7 March 1997 / Accepted: 27 March 1997 相似文献
12.
Nicole M. Phillips Jennifer A. Chaplin David L. Morgan Stirling C. Peverell 《Marine Biology》2011,158(4):903-915
Northern Australia is considered to be one of the last strongholds for three critically endangered sawfishes, Pristis zijsron, Pristis clavata, and Pristis microdon, making these populations of global significance. Population structure and levels of genetic diversity were assessed for
each species across northern Australia using a portion of the mitochondrial control region. Statistically significant genetic
structure was detected in all three species, although it was higher in P. microdon (F
ST = 0.811; N = 149) than in either P. clavata (F
ST = 0.419; N = 73) or P. zijsron (F
ST = 0.202; N = 49), possibly due to a much higher and/or localized level of female philopatry in P. microdon. The overall levels of haplotype diversity in P. zijsron (h = 0.555), P. clavata (h = 0.489), and P. microdon (h = 0.650) were moderate, although it appears to be reduced in the assemblages of P. zijsron and P. clavata in the Gulf of Carpentaria (h = 0.342 and h = 0.083, respectively). Since female migration (replenishment) between regions is unlikely, conservation plans should strive
to maintain current levels of diversity and abundances in the regional assemblages of each species. 相似文献
13.
Genetic surveys of reef fishes have revealed high population connectivity within ocean basins, consistent with the assumption that pelagic larvae disperse long distances by oceanic currents. However, several recent studies have demonstrated that larval retention and self-recruitment may be higher than previously expected. To assess connectivity in tropical reef fishes, we contribute range-wide mtDNA surveys of two Atlantic squirrelfishes (family Holocentridae). The blackbar soldierfish, Myripristis jacobus, has a pelagic juvenile phase of about 58 days, compared to about 71 days (~22% longer) in the longjaw squirrelfish, Holocentrus ascensionis. If the pelagic duration is guiding dispersal ability, M. jacobus should have greater population genetic structure than H. ascensionis. In comparisons of mtDNA cytochrome b sequences from 69 M. jacobus (744 bp) and 101 H. ascensionis (769 bp), both species exhibited a large number of closely related haplotypes (h=0.781 and 0.974, π=0.003 and 0.006, respectively), indicating late Pleistocene coalescence of mtDNA lineages. Contrary to the prediction based on pelagic duration, M. jacobus has much less population structure (φST=0.008, P=0.228) than H. ascensionis (φST=0.091, P<0.001). Significant population partitions in H. ascensionis were observed between eastern, central and western Atlantic, and between Brazil and the Caribbean in the western Atlantic. These results, in combination with the findings from 13 codistributed species, indicate that pelagic larval duration is a poor predictor of population genetic structure in Atlantic reef fishes. A key to understanding this disparity may be the evolutionary depth among corresponding taxonomic groups of “reef fishes”, which extends back to the mid-Cretaceous and encompasses enormous diversity in ecology and life history. We should not expect a simple relationship between pelagic larval duration and genetic connectivity, among lineages that diverged 50–100 million years ago. 相似文献
14.
The nurse shark, Ginglymostoma cirratum, inhabits shallow, tropical, and subtropical waters in the Atlantic and the eastern Pacific. Unlike many other species of
sharks, nurse sharks are remarkably sedentary. We assayed the mitochondrial control region and eight microsatellite loci from
individuals collected primarily in the western Atlantic to estimate the degree of population subdivision. Two individuals
from the eastern Atlantic and one from the Pacific coast of Panama also were genotyped. Overall, the mtDNA haplotype (h = 48 ± 5%) and nucleotide (π = 0.08 ± 0.06%) diversities were low. The microsatellite data mirror the mitochondrial results
with the average number of alleles ([`(N)]A \bar{N}_{A} = 9) and observed heterozygosity ([`(H)]O \bar{H}_{O} = 0.58) both low. The low levels of diversity seen in both the mtDNA and the microsatellite may be due to historical sea
level fluctuations and concomitant loss of shallow water habitat. Eight of the 10 pair-wise western Atlantic F
ST estimates for mtDNA indicated significant genetic subdivision. Pair-wise F
ST values for the microsatellite loci indicated a similar pattern as the mtDNA. The western Atlantic population of nurse sharks
is genetically subdivided with the strongest separation seen between the offshore islands and mainland Brazil, likely due
to deep water acting as a barrier to dispersal. The eastern and western Atlantic populations were closely related. The eastern
Pacific individual is quite different from Atlantic individuals and may be a cryptic, sister species. 相似文献
15.
Genetic variation in 15 Holothuria (Microthele) nobilis (Selenka, 1867) populations on the Great Barrier Reef was studied at seven polymorphic allozyme loci. Although populations
were separated by distances up to 1300 km, there were no apparent restrictions to gene flow (F
ST
values were not significantly different from 0) and the maximum Nei's unbiased genetic distance was 0.003. Populations were
in Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium at all loci. The estimated maximum sexual input [this is the ratio of the number of sexually
produced individuals (N*) to the sample size (N
i
)] and the minimum sexual input [this is the ratio of the number of genotypes (N
go
) over the sample size (N
i
)] were used as estimators for the amount of asexual reproduction. Both parameters suggested that H. nobilis reproduces solely by sexual means (N*:N
i
: = 1; N
go
:N
i
= 0.74 to 1). The allozyme data indicated high gene flow between populations, but the possibility that allozyme frequencies
may not be at equilibrium means that it was not possible to distinguish whether the patterns reflect present-day dispersal
or dispersal that occurred in the past.
Received: 27 March 2000 / Accepted: 29 June 2000 相似文献
16.
Effects of contrasting modes of larval development on the genetic structures of populations of three species of prosobranch gastropods 总被引:1,自引:0,他引:1
M. G. Hoskin 《Marine Biology》1997,127(4):647-656
In south-eastern Australia, the prosobranch gastropods Morula marginalba (Blainville), Cominella lineolata (Lamarck) and Bedeva hanleyi (Angas) have similar fine-scale distributions, but appear to possess very different dispersal capabilities due to contrasting
modes of larval development. M.marginalba produce planktonic larvae, whereas C. lineolata and B. hanleyi undergo direct development in benthic egg capsules and emerge as crawling juveniles. To test for possible effects of contrasting
life histories on levels of genetic variation within and among populations, a survey was conducted of allozyme variation at
six polymorphic loci in 8 to 9 local populations of each species. Collections of snails were made between June 1992 and November
1993. Sampling ranges spanned between 162 and 180 km of coast. Regardless of larval type, proportions of single-locus genotypes
in each collection were consistent with the recruitment of offspring which had been generated through random mating. However,
genotypic diversity was lower in those species that undergo direct development. Loci surveyed in C. lineolata and B. hanleyi were polymorphic (i.e. frequency of most common allele <95%) in fewer populations than those examined for M.␣marginalba (P <0.001) and, where polymorphisms occurred, also possessed significantly fewer alleles (P <0.001). Consequently, average levels of expected heterozygosity were greater in populations of M. marginalba than in those of either of the other species (P <0.001). Genetic variation among populations, expressed as the standardised variance in allele frequencies (F
ST
), was inversely related to expected larval dispersal capability. The nine collections of M. marginalba showed little overall differentiation (F
ST
= 0.017; P <0.001), reflecting the ability of planktonic larvae to interconnect local populations, and so limit divergence due to drift
and natural selection. In contrast, there were high levels of allelic heterogeneity among the nine collections of C. lineolata (F
ST
= 0.523; P <0.001) and eight collections of B. hanleyi (F
ST
= 0.140; P <0.001). These data imply that for species which undergo direct development, local populations are effectively closed and
evolve largely independent of one another.
Received: 3 May 1996 / Accepted: 12 July 1996 相似文献
17.
Spatial and temporal genetic homogeneity in the Arctic surfclam (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Mactromeris polynyma</Emphasis>) 总被引:1,自引:0,他引:1
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. 相似文献
18.
Although oysters are commercially very important in Brazil, there is still much dispute about the number of Crassostrea species occurring on the Brazilian coast. The dispute is centered around C. brasiliana, considered by some authors to be a junior synonym of C. rhizophorae. In this paper we compared, by allozyme electrophoresis, sympatric and allopatric populations of the two putative species.
Of the 17 loci analysed, five were diagnostic for the two species in sympatry (gene identity = 0.46 to 0.47), clearly demonstrating
that they are distinct biological species. Heterozygosity (h) levels were high for both species (h = 0.24 to 0.28), and no heterozygote deficiencies were observed in any population (local inbreeding, F
IS
= 0.141; P > 0.70). Levels of population structure in C. rhizophorae along 1300 km of coast were very low (population inbreeding, F
ST
= 0.026; P > 0.15), indicating that the planktonic, planktotrophic larvae of these species are capable of long-range dispersal.
Received: 14 January 1999 / Accepted: 8 December 1999 相似文献
19.
Genetic differentiation between North Sea and Baltic Sea Hediste diversicolor (O.F. Müller, 1776) (Polychaeta: Nereididae) populations was studied by allozyme electrophoresis on starch gel. Thirteen
loci were analyzed in eight populations. The level of genetic variation was very low (mean H
o = 0.000 to 0.015). Differentiation between H. diversicolor populations is quite high (F
ST = 0.892) and reflected by three enzyme loci (MDH-I*, MDH-II*, IDH-I*). The reduced gene flow (N
m<1) may be explained by the limited dispersal capacity of the species. Regardless of whether found in the North Sea or Baltic
Sea, there appear to be two different genetic types which are parapatric or sympatric in some places. The two types hybridize
at three localities, but no signs of hybridization have been found at one (Tallinn).
Received: 26 June 1997 / Accepted: 10 September 1997 相似文献
20.
The finless porpoise (Neophocaena phocaenoides) inhabits a wide range of tropical and temperate waters of the Indo-Pacific region. Genetic structure of finless porpoises
in Chinese waters in three regions (Yangtze River, Yellow Sea, and South China Sea) was analyzed, including the Yangtze finless
porpoise which is widely known because of its highly endangered status and unusual adaptation to freshwater. To assist in
conservation and management of this species, ten microsatellite loci were used to genotype 125 individuals from the three
regions. Contrary to the low genetic diversity revealed in previous mtDNA control region sequence analyses, relatively high
levels of genetic variation in microsatellite profiles (H
E = 0.732–0.795) were found. Bayesian clustering analysis suggested that finless porpoises in Chinese waters could be described
as three distinct genetic groups, which corresponded well to population “units” (populations, subspecies, or species) delimited
in earlier studies, based on morphological variation, distribution, and genetic analyses. Genetic differentiation between
regions was significant, with F
ST values ranging from 0.07 to 0.137. Immigration rates estimated using a Bayesian method and population ancestry analyses suggested
no or very limited gene flow among regional types, even in the area of overlap between types. These results strongly support
the classification of porpoises in these regions into distinct evolutionarily significant units, including at least two separate
species, and therefore they should be treated as different management units in the design and implementation of conservation
programmes. 相似文献