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Intraspecific phylogeography of the gopher tortoise, Gopherus polyphemus: RFLP analysis of amplified mtDNA segments
Author(s) -
OSENTOSKI M. F.,
LAMB T.
Publication year - 1995
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 - 10.1111/j.1365-294x.1995.tb00271.x
Subject(s) - biology , phylogeography , tortoise , intraspecific competition , mitochondrial dna , upgma , restriction fragment length polymorphism , population , polyphemus , restriction site , ecology , restriction enzyme , zoology , genetic variation , evolutionary biology , phylogenetic tree , genetics , genotype , limulus , dna , demography , sociology , gene
The slow rate of mtDNA evolution in turtles poses a limitation on the levels of intraspecific variation detectable by conventional restriction fragment surveys. We examined mtDNA variation in the gopher tortoise ( Gopherus polyphemus ) using an alternative restriction assay, one in which PCR‐amplified segments of the mitochondrial genome were digested with tetranucleotide‐site endonucleases. Restriction fragment polymorphisms representing four amplified regions were analysed to evaluate population genetic structure among 112 tortoises throughout the species' range. Thirty‐six haplotypes were identified, and three major geographical assemblages (Eastern, Western, and Mid‐Florida) were resolved by UPGMA and parsimony analyses. Eastern and Western assemblages abut near the Apalachicola drainage, whereas the Mid‐Florida assemblage appears restricted to the Brooksville Ridge. The Eastern/Western assemblage boundary is remarkably congruent with phylogeographic profiles for eight additional species from the southeastern U.S., representing both freshwater and terrestrial realms.