Genetic diversity and population structure of the Saharan honey bee Apis mellifera sahariensis from southeastern Morocco: introgression assessment and implications for conservation
Abdessamad Aglagane, Andrzej Oleksa, Omar Er-Rguibi, Adam Tofilski, El Hassan El Mouden, Ahmed Aamiri, Mohamed Aourir
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引用次数: 0
Abstract
This study assessed the conservation status of the Saharan honey bee (Apis mellifera sahariensis) from southeastern Morocco using 12 microsatellite loci to examine genetic diversity and hybridization with other subspecies. Samples from 148 colonies were clustered into seven populations representing the expected distribution of A. m. intermissa and A. m. sahariensis, and reference samples from two European subspecies, A. m. carnica and A. m. mellifera, were included. Moroccan honey bees showed higher genetic diversity than European reference samples, and genetic structure analysis revealed two distinct clusters in Morocco separated by the High Atlas Mountains (FST = 0.05). Although high rates of hybridization with A. m. intermissa jeopardize the genetic integrity of the Saharan honey bee, no evidence of introgression was detected from the European reference subspecies. Additionally, we found that the probability of assignment to Saharan subspecies decreased with increasing human management intensity and precipitation. These findings are important for developing a conservation strategy for the Saharan honey bee in Morocco.
期刊介绍:
Apidologie is a peer-reviewed journal devoted to the biology of insects belonging to the superfamily Apoidea.
Its range of coverage includes behavior, ecology, pollination, genetics, physiology, systematics, toxicology and pathology. Also accepted are papers on the rearing, exploitation and practical use of Apoidea and their products, as far as they make a clear contribution to the understanding of bee biology.
Apidologie is an official publication of the Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA) and Deutscher Imkerbund E.V. (D.I.B.)