Open AccessColour, Allozyme and Karyotype Variation Show Little Concordance in the New Zealand Giant Scree Weta Deinacrida Connectens (Orthoptera: Stenopelmatidae)
Author(s) -
MorganRichards Mary,
Gibbs George W.
Publication year - 1996
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.1601-5223.1996.00265.x
Subject(s) - biology , orthoptera , karyotype , variation (astronomy) , zoology , range (aeronautics) , ploidy , concordance , evolutionary biology , geographic variation , chromosome number , chromosome , genetics , population , demography , physics , materials science , astrophysics , composite material , gene , sociology
Scree weta from seventeen locations, covering the complete species range in the South Island of New Zealand, were examined using morphological characters studied by previous workers, as well as allozyme electrophoresis, and cytogenetics. The range of colour we describe does not support the four colour varieties proposed by previous workers for this species. Seven karyotypes are described, with diploid numbers ranging from 2n = 17(X0) to 2n = 22(XX). In contrast, little variation was found at 24 enzyme loci to distinguish different populations of scree weta. The level of allozyme variations suggests that colour and chromosome evolution has been rapid. Geographic structure is evident within both allozyme and chromosome variation but less so with colour variation. The extent of allozyme variation is in agreement with geological evidence that the Southern Alps of New Zealand are less than five million years old.