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- Dibattista, Joseph D., et al.
(författare)
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A genetic assessment of polyandry and breeding-site fidelity in lemon sharks
- 2008
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Ingår i: Molecular Ecology. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 0962-1083 .- 1365-294X. ; 17:14, s. 3337-3351
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We here employ 11 microsatellite markers and recently developed litter reconstruction methods to infer mating system parameters (i.e. polyandry and breeding-site fidelity) at a lemon shark nursery site in Marquesas Key, Florida. Four hundred and eight juvenile or subadult sharks were genotyped over eight complete breeding seasons. Using this information, we were able to infer family structure, as well as fully or partially reconstruct genotypes of 46 mothers and 163 fathers. Multiple litter reconstruction methods were used, and novel simulations helped define apparent bias and precision of at least some mating system parameters. For Marquesas Key, we find that adult female lemon sharks display high levels of polyandry (81% of all litters sampled) and stronger fidelity to the nursery site than do males. Indeed, few male sharks sired offspring from more than one litter during the course of the study. These findings were quite similar to previous results from another lemon shark nursery site (Bimini, Bahamas), suggesting conserved mating system parameters despite significant variation in early life-history traits (i.e. body size and growth) among sites. The finding of at least some site fidelity in females also supports the need for careful conservation of each nursery.
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| 2. |
- Olsson, Jens, 1976-
(författare)
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Interplay Between Environment and Genes on Morphological Variation in Perch – Implications for Resource Polymorphisms
- 2006
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Recent research has suggested that individual specialization within populations could be substantial and more common than previously acknowledged. Eurasian perch is one of many species of fish in lakes of postglacial origin that displays a morphological and dietary variation tightly coupled to the littoral and pelagic habitats of the lake. The occurrence of such resource polymorphisms might have important consequences for local adaptation and might also be an important initial step in speciation. I have investigated the importance of a number of factors for the development of resource polymorphisms using perch as a study organism. I found a weak genetic basis for morphological differences, and the environmental influence on morphology was of such a magnitude that an induced morphology could be reversed. The results nevertheless suggested that genetic differentiation could be substantial at small spatial and temporal scales, even within habitats. Several environmental factors were shown to influence the morphological development, and the results also suggest that behavioral differences could mediate a morphological response. I also found evidence for that competition-driven divergence might only occur when divergence in resource use is favoured at the same time as growth rates are kept sufficiently high for character divergence to be effective. The results finally indicate that divergence in the gut length of individuals might co-vary with habitat and diet use in resource polymorphic populations. This might enhance habitat fidelity and possibly also facilitate the persistence of resource polymorphisms since individuals should experience a cost of switching diets due to a too specific digestive system. Based on these findings I conclude that small scaled genetic differentiation might be more common than currently acknowledged, that more multi-factorial studies are needed if we are to fully understand the mechanisms behind trait diversity, and that competition not always favors divergence.
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