One perfect worm.
Recent studies show that local populations of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans possess nearly as much genetic variation as that seen in existing worldwide collections. This suggests either wide-ranging migration and intense natural selection or recent dispersal, perhaps by human association. Either way, the effective population size of this ubiquitous model organism is unexpectedly small.
Phillips
Patrick C
PC
Center for Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403-5289, USA. pphil@uoregon.edu
D000818:Animals; D002107:Caenorhabditis / Q000235:genetics*; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000235:genetics; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D014644:Genetic Variation; D005828:Genetics, Population; D015810:Linkage Disequilibrium; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D034622:RNA Interference / Q000502:physiology