Premium
Genetic evidence for female‐biased dispersal in the bullfrog, Rana catesbeiana (Ranidae)
Author(s) -
Austin James D.,
Dávila José A.,
Lougheed Stephen C.,
Boag Peter T.
Publication year - 2003
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.2003.01948.x
Subject(s) - biology , biological dispersal , bullfrog , inbreeding , mating system , rana , ecology , amphibian , evolutionary biology , zoology , genetic diversity , inbreeding avoidance , mating , mate choice , population , demography , anatomy , sociology
Sex‐biased dispersal is an important but unexplored area of amphibian ecology. We predicted female‐biased dispersal in the bullfrog ( Rana catesbeiana ) based on aspects of their mating system and tested this prediction using data from seven polymorphic DNA microsatellite loci. Allelic ( F ‐statistics) and genotypic [assignment index, ( AIc )] frequencies from nine Ontario populations support our prediction, although significant sex differences in inbreeding and variance of AIc were not detected. The diversity of mating systems found in amphibians represents an important avenue for investigating the relationship between reproductive systems, dispersal and phylogeny.