Estimation of the number of individuals founding colonized populations.
A method for estimating the number of founding chromosomes in an isolated population is introduced. The method assumes that n/2 diploid individuals are sampled from a population and that alleles are identified at L unlinked loci. The population is assumed to have been founded T generations in the past by individuals carrying c chromosomes drawn randomly from a known source population, which has also been sampled. If c is small and the population grew rapidly after it was founded, accurate estimates of c can be obtained and those estimates are not sensitive to details of the history of population sizes. If c is larger or the population remained small after it was founded, then estimates of c depend on the history of population sizes. We test the performance of our method on simulated data and demonstrate its use on data from a rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) population.
Anderson
Eric C
EC
Fisheries Ecology Division, Southwest Fisheries Science Center, 110 Shaffer Road, Santa Cruz, California 95060, USA. eric.anderson@noaa.gov
Slatkin
Montgomery
M
D000818:Animals; D002875:Chromosomes / Q000235:genetics*; D003198:Computer Simulation; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D018703:Founder Effect; D005828:Genetics, Population; D008957:Models, Genetic; D017686:Oncorhynchus mykiss / Q000235:genetics; D011156:Population Density; D011157:Population Dynamics; D013997:Time Factors