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A preliminary examination of genetic variation in a peripheral population of Blanding's turtle, Emydoidea blandingii
Author(s) -
MOCKFORD S. W.,
SNYDER M.,
HERMAN T. B.
Publication year - 1999
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.1999.00525.x
Subject(s) - biology , population , range (aeronautics) , nova scotia , turtle (robot) , dendrogram , genetic diversity , zoology , ecology , evolutionary biology , demography , geography , materials science , archaeology , sociology , composite material
Random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) was used to compare the Nova Scotia population of Blanding's turtle ( Emydoidea blandingii ) with several populations from the species’ main range. The Nova Scotia population is believed to have been isolated from the main range for 4000–8000 years. Cluster analysis using a neighbour‐joining algorithm produced a dendrogram showing the Nova Scotia population clustering separately from those populations in the main range. Analysis of molecular variance shows 34.28% of total variance to be accounted for between the Nova Scotia population and populations in the main range. While this study is preliminary, the results suggest that the Nova Scotia population of Blanding's turtle may be important to the maintenance of genetic diversity in the species.