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Conservation genetics of the plain pigeon Columba inornata in Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic
Author(s) -
Young D. L.,
Allard M. W.
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
molecular ecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.619
H-Index - 225
eISSN - 1365-294X
pISSN - 0962-1083
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-294x.1997.00253.x
Subject(s) - subspecies , biology , gene flow , haplotype , genetic diversity , endangered species , nucleotide diversity , genetic variation , zoology , population , ecology , genetics , allele , demography , gene , habitat , sociology
Genetic sequence variation in the mitochondrial D ‐loop was assessed for 42 individuals of the plain pigeon Columba inornata from Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. While overall genetic diversity was low in these populations, five haplotypes were observed, with one unique to Puerto Rico and three haplotypes unique to the Dominican Republic sample (with haplotype diversity of h PR = 0.479 and h DR = 0.591, and nucleotide diversity of π PR = 0.2% and π DR = 0.4% where the subscripts correspond to Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic, respectively). A G ‐test of haplotype frequencies between these two populations suggest that these two subspecies ( C. i. wetmorei and C. i. inornata ) are genetically distinct and should be managed separately. With little apparent gene flow between these two islands (estimates of migration Nm = 1.18) it would appear that the endangered species C. i. wetmorei is endemic to the island of Puerto Rico and that these current populations were not founded by a recent extinction and recolonization event from the Dominican Republic.