Premium
Microsatellite analysis of the maternal origin of Myrica rubra seeds in the feces of Japanese macaques
Author(s) -
Terakawa Mari,
Isagi Yuji,
Matsui Kiyoshi,
Yumoto Takakazu
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
ecological research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.628
H-Index - 68
eISSN - 1440-1703
pISSN - 0912-3814
DOI - 10.1007/s11284-008-0537-6
Subject(s) - myrica rubra , feces , biology , biological dispersal , seed dispersal , range (aeronautics) , botany , zoology , ecology , population , demography , materials science , sociology , composite material
Identifying the maternal origin of dispersed seeds is a challenging task because it is impossible to directly track seed movement once an animal has ingested them. However, recent development of molecular techniques allows us to identify the maternal origin of dispersed seeds in natural plant populations. Here we analyzed the maternal origin of Myrica rubra seeds found in the feces of Yakushima macaques. We detected a high level of diversity among the dispersed seeds, with an average of 3.0 maternal origins (range 1–9) in each feces. The average dispersal distance was 270.0 m (range 20.4–634.0 m) and the average of distance between maternal trees of dispersed seeds in the same feces was 161.5 m (range 0–573.9 m). These results suggest that seed dispersal by macaques plays an important role in maintaining the genetic diversity of Myrica rubra populations.