title: Evaluating evolutionary divergence with microsatellites.
abstract: We report the use of microsatellites (MS) to track the recent evolution of swine. Allelic frequencies for nine MS loci linked on swine chromosome 6 (SSC6) representing four western and one Chinese swine breeds were used to estimate genetic distances and times of breed divergence. A phylogenetic tree was constructed which partitioned into western and Meishan breed branches. Yorkshire and Hampshire breeds exhibited the most recent divergence with a calculated distance of 391 years. The oldest divergence, of 2,227 years, was between Meishan and Hampshire swine. Estimates of breed divergence are consistent with historical records. Additional analysis suggests that polymorphic MS linked on a single chromosome are sufficient to determine evolutionary relationships within a single species.
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary PathoBiology, University of Minnesota, 1988 Fitch Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55108, USA.
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Paszek
authors.forename: G H
authors.initials: GH
authors.lastname: Flickinger
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Fontanesi
authors.forename: C W
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Beattie
authors.forename: G A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Rohrer
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Alexander
authors.forename: L B
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Schook
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005075:Biological Evolution; D001947:Breeding; D002681:China; D005260:Female; D014644:Genetic Variation; D006579:Heterozygote; D008297:Male; D018895:Microsatellite Repeats; D010802:Phylogeny; D013552:Swine / Q000502:physiology*; D014481:United States