Genetic structure among closely spaced leks in a peripheral population of lesser prairie-chickens.
We evaluated the genetic structure of birds from four closely spaced leks in a peripheral population of lesser prairie-chickens (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus). Analyses of molecular variance revealed significant genetic structuring among birds from different leks for six microsatellite loci (FST = 0.036; P = 0.002), but we found no genetic differentiation at the mtDNA control region. Significant deviations from Hardy-Weinberg revealed an excess of homozygote genotypes within each of the leks studied (FIS = 0.190-0.307), indicative of increased inbreeding. Estimates of relatedness using microsatellite data suggest that the genetic structuring among lesser prairie-chicken leks occurs in part because of a lek mating system in which males at some leks are related. Structuring may also be caused by stochastic effects associated with a historical decline in population size leading to small, semi-isolated leks and high site fidelity by reproductive males. Results from this study suggest that microspatial genetic structuring may occur in lek-mating bird species with low levels of dispersal.
Bouzat
Juan L
JL
Department of Biological Sciences, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, Ohio 43403-0212, USA. jbouzat@bgnet.bgsu.edu
Johnson
Kristine
K
D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D001717:Birds / Q000235:genetics*; D017931:DNA Primers; D014644:Genetic Variation; D005828:Genetics, Population; D040582:Inheritance Patterns / Q000235:genetics*; D018895:Microsatellite Repeats / Q000235:genetics; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009516:New Mexico; D011157:Population Dynamics; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D012726:Sexual Behavior, Animal
D017931:DNA Primers