Michael Calonje, Alan W. Meerow, Jan Meerman, Javier Francisco‐Ortega, M. Patrick Griffith
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引用次数: 0
Abstract
We utilized 10 microsatellite loci to examine the genetic diversity, genetic structure, and demographic history of Zamia decumbens Calonje, Meerman, M.P. Griff. & Hoese, an endangered cycad species occurring in small populations on karst topography within the Maya Mountains of Belize. Four populations in two distinct habitats were sampled: three inside dolines (one at a cave entrance and two at the bottom of sinkholes) and one on a rocky hilltop. Genetic variation in the species reflects the demographic history of the sampled populations which appears closely linked to the karstification of the limestone bedrock on which it occurs rather than being structured geographically or by habitat type. Contemporary gene flow between populations is low, with the cave population facilitating most of the genetic connectivity in the region as a source of migrants to other populations. Coalescent‐based modeling revealed that the two sinkhole populations were established first, and the hilltop and cave populations were more recently founded from a common ancestral population. All populations were in Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium and moderately heterozygous, yet signatures for recent bottleneck events were recovered for the doline populations. Furthermore, a high inbreeding coefficient and high average pairwise relatedness were found for the hilltop population, the latter possibly the result of recent illegal harvesting activities.
期刊介绍:
Plant Species Biology is published four times a year by The Society for the Study of Species Biology. Plant Species Biology publishes research manuscripts in the fields of population biology, pollination biology, evolutionary ecology, biosystematics, co-evolution, and any other related fields in biology. In addition to full length papers, the journal also includes short research papers as notes and comments. Invited articles may be accepted or occasion at the request of the Editorial Board. Manuscripts should contain new results of empirical and/or theoretical investigations concerning facts, processes, mechanisms or concepts of evolutionary as well as biological phenomena. Papers that are purely descriptive are not suitable for this journal. Notes & comments of the following contents will not be accepted for publication: Development of DNA markers. The journal is introducing ''Life history monographs of Japanese plant species''. The journal is dedicated to minimizing the time between submission, review and publication and to providing a high quality forum for original research in Plant Species Biology.