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HIERARCHICAL PATTERNS OF GENETIC POPULATION STRUCTURE IN BLACK RAT SNAKES ( ELAPHE OBSOLETA OBSOLETA ) AS REVEALED BY MICROSATELLITE DNA ANALYSIS
Author(s) -
Lougheed Stephen C.,
Gibbs H. Lisle,
Prior Kent A.,
Weatherhead Patrick J.
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
evolution
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.84
H-Index - 199
eISSN - 1558-5646
pISSN - 0014-3820
DOI - 10.1111/j.1558-5646.1999.tb04581.x
Subject(s) - biology , microsatellite , gene flow , genetic structure , loss of heterozygosity , population , isolation by distance , evolutionary biology , ecology , zoology , genetic variation , gene , genetics , demography , allele , sociology
We investigated the distribution of variation at six microsatellite loci in the black rat snake ( Elaphe obsoleta obsoleta ). Sampling occurred at three hierarchical scales ranging from communal hibernacula to regional populations, with most locales situated within the Frontenac Axis region of eastern Ontario. We detected no statistically significant pairwise differentiation ( F ST and R ST ) between hibernacula within the same subpopulations (interhibernaculum distance <6 km). However, isolation‐by‐distance was evident among locales within the Frontenac Axis (maximum of 50 km) and among regional populations (maximum of 1500 km). Conservative estimates of N c derived from heterozygosity values ranged from approximately 600 to 2000. These values suggest relatively large genetic neighborhoods encompassing many communal hibernacula. Our results considered together suggest viscosity of gene flow over relatively short distances (tens of kilometers), but substantial genetic exchange among local hibernacula.