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Weak founder effect signal in a recent introduction of Caribbean Anolis
Author(s) -
EALES J.,
THORPE R. S.,
MALHOTRA A.
Publication year - 2008
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.2007.03684.x
Subject(s) - biology , anolis , founder effect , species richness , evolutionary biology , population , genetic variation , population bottleneck , introduced species , ecology , genetic diversity , small population size , population genetics , genetic drift , zoology , microsatellite , allele , genetics , lizard , demography , sociology , habitat , gene , haplotype
Species introductions provide a rare opportunity to study rapid evolutionary and genetic processes in natural systems, often under novel environmental pressures. Few empirical studies have been able to characterize genetic founder effects associated with demographic bottlenecks at the earliest stages of species introductions. This study utilizes prior mitochondrial DNA information which identifies the putative source population for a recently established ( c . 7 years between import and sampling) species introduction. We investigated the evidence for a founder effect in a highly successful introduction of a Puerto Rican Anolis species that has established itself on Dominica to the localized exclusion of the native, endemic anole. Five highly polymorphic microsatellite loci were used to explore the partitioning of genetic diversity within and between native source, native nonsource, and introduced populations of Anolis cristatellus . Group comparisons reveal significantly lower allelic richness and expected heterozygosity in introduced populations compared to native populations; however, tests for heterozygosity excess relative to allelic richness failed to provide consistent evidence for a founder effect within introduced populations. Significant levels of within‐population genetic variation were present in both native and introduced populations. We suggest that aspects of the reproductive ecology of Anolis (high fecundity, sperm storage and multiple paternity) offer an important mechanism by which genetic variation may be maintained following demographic bottlenecks and founder events in some squamate taxa.