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Combined analyses of kinship and F ST suggest potential drivers of chaotic genetic patchiness in high gene‐flow populations
Author(s) -
Iacchei Matthew,
BenHorin Tal,
Selkoe Kimberly A.,
Bird Christopher E.,
GarcíaRodríguez Francisco J.,
Toonen Robert J.
Publication year - 2013
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/mec.12341
Subject(s) - biology , biological dispersal , population , kinship , gene flow , ecology , pelagic zone , genetic structure , effective population size , range (aeronautics) , phylogeography , zoology , genetic variation , demography , genetics , phylogenetics , gene , materials science , sociology , political science , law , composite material
We combine kinship estimates with traditional F ‐statistics to explain contemporary drivers of population genetic differentiation despite high gene flow. We investigate range‐wide population genetic structure of the C alifornia spiny (or red rock) lobster ( P anulirus interruptus ) and find slight, but significant global population differentiation in mt DNA (Φ ST = 0.006, P = 0.001; D est_Chao = 0.025) and seven nuclear microsatellites ( F ST = 0.004, P < 0.001; D est_Chao = 0.03), despite the species’ 240‐ to 330‐day pelagic larval duration. Significant population structure does not correlate with distance between sampling locations, and pairwise F ST between adjacent sites often exceeds that among geographically distant locations. This result would typically be interpreted as unexplainable, chaotic genetic patchiness. However, kinship levels differ significantly among sites (pseudo‐ F 16,988 = 1.39, P = 0.001), and ten of 17 sample sites have significantly greater numbers of kin than expected by chance ( P < 0.05). Moreover, a higher proportion of kin within sites strongly correlates with greater genetic differentiation among sites ( D est_Chao , R 2 = 0.66, P < 0.005). Sites with elevated mean kinship were geographically proximate to regions of high upwelling intensity ( R 2 = 0.41, P = 0.0009). These results indicate that P. interruptus does not maintain a single homogenous population, despite extreme dispersal potential. Instead, these lobsters appear to either have substantial localized recruitment or maintain planktonic larval cohesiveness whereby siblings more likely settle together than disperse across sites. More broadly, our results contribute to a growing number of studies showing that low F ST and high family structure across populations can coexist, illuminating the foundations of cryptic genetic patterns and the nature of marine dispersal.