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Fine scale genetic structure in the wild ancestor of maize ( Zea mays ssp. parviglumis )
Author(s) -
VAN HEERWAARDEN JOOST,
ROSSIBARRA JEFFREY,
DOEBLEY JOHN,
GLAUBITZ JEFFREY C.,
DE JESÚS SÁNCHEZ GONZÁLEZ JOSE,
GAUT BRANDON S.,
EGUIARTE LUIS E.
Publication year - 2010
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.2010.04559.x
Subject(s) - biology , outcrossing , evolutionary biology , genetic structure , population , genetic diversity , local adaptation , genetics , allele frequency , microsatellite , genetic variation , allele , ecology , gene , pollen , demography , sociology
Analysis of fine scale genetic structure in continuous populations of outcrossing plant species has traditionally been limited by the availability of sufficient markers. We used a set of 468 SNPs to characterize fine‐scale genetic structure within and between two dense stands of the wild ancestor of maize, teosinte ( Zea mays ssp. parviglumis ). Our analyses confirmed that teosinte is highly outcrossing and showed little population structure over short distances. We found that the two populations were clearly genetically differentiated, although the actual level of differentiation was low. Spatial autocorrelation of relatedness was observed within both sites but was somewhat stronger in one of the populations. Using principal component analysis, we found evidence for significant local differentiation in the population with stronger spatial autocorrelation. This differentiation was associated with pronounced shifts in the first two principal components along the field. These shifts corresponded to changes in allele frequencies, potentially due to local topographical features. There was little evidence for selection at individual loci as a contributing factor to differentiation. Our results demonstrate that significant local differentiation may, but need not, co‐occur with spatial autocorrelation of relatedness. The present study represents one of the most detailed analyses of local genetic structure to date and provides a benchmark for future studies dealing with fine scale patterns of genetic diversity in natural plant populations.