Open AccessThe neutralist‐selectionist debate and estimates of allozyme multilocus structure in conservation genetics of the primitive land races of Ethiopian barley
Author(s) -
BEKELE ENDASHAW
Publication year - 1983
Publication title -
hereditas
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.819
H-Index - 50
eISSN - 1601-5223
pISSN - 0018-0661
DOI - 10.1111/j.1601-5223.1983.tb00734.x
Subject(s) - biology , evolutionary biology , germplasm , locus (genetics) , genetic structure , genetic diversity , allele , human evolutionary genetics , genetics , genetic variation , gene , phylogenetics , population , botany , demography , sociology
The various models used to test for the maintenance of allozyme variation, as they are formed in the neutralist‐selectionist views, are given. The non‐random allelic distributions and regional multilocus genetic organization in the Ethiopian land race populations of barley, for the five loci studied, are presented. A tight regional multilocus structure among the five loci is shown in most regions. The reasons for regional ubiquity and specificities of certain gametic combinations and multilocus linkage disequilibria are discussed. The possible maintenance of null alleles at the Est‐B locus is accounted for by specific multilocus structure and, possibly, an interplay of environments, with an overriding importance of narrowly fluctuating environments. The importance of the observed multilocus structure in germplasm collection, rejuvenation, conservation, and in several aspects of plant breeding and choice of plant breeding methods is pointed out. A follow‐up of the evolution of such coadapted multilocus structures in centres of genetic diversity for several hosts and parasites is recommended as a method to understand the evolutionary dynamics and management of a given gene pool for continual utility.