title: Molecular Evidence For High Levels of Intrapopulation Genetic Diversity in Woodrats (Neotoma Micropus).
abstract: Nucleotide sequences from the mitochondrial control region and genotypes from 5 nuclear microsatellite loci were used to examine genetic structure and infer recent (within approximately the last 3,000 years) evolutionary history of a population (549 individuals) of the southern plains woodrat (Neotoma micropus). Observed heterozygosity values ranged from 0.61 to 0.89 across microsatellite loci and systematically were lower than expected heterozygosity values (0.66-0.95). Probability of unique identity using microsatellite data was high (1 individual in 66,005,424). Fifty-three mitochondrial haplotypes were obtained from 150 individuals. F(ST) values estimated from sequence and microsatellite data were 0.061 and 0.011, respectively, and the R(ST) for microsatellite data was 0.007. Within-group genetic variation ranged from 93.90% to 99.99% depending on whether sequence or microsatellite data were examined. Analyses of microsatellite data suggested that all sampled individuals belonged to a single population, albeit genetically diverse. However, combined data analyses suggested the presence of low levels of substructure attributable to maternal lineages within the population. Low nucleotide-diversity values (0.007-0.010) in addition to high haplotype-diversity values (0.915-0.933) indicate a high number of closely related haplotypes, and suggest that this population may have undergone a recent expansion. However, Fu's F(S) statistic did not fully support this finding, because it did not reveal a significant excess of recent mutations. A phylogenetic approach using the haplotype sequence data and a combined set including both haplotype and genotype data was used to test for evolutionary patterns and history.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79409-3131, USA (FMM-H, RES, RDB), Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555-0609, USA (CFF, MLM), Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Matador Wildlife Management Area, 3036 FM 3256, Paducah, TX 79248, USA (DCR III), Natural Science Research Laboratory, Museum of Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79409-3191, USA (RDB).
authors.forename: Francisca M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Mendez-Harclerode
authors.forename: Richard E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Strauss
authors.forename: Charles F
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Fulhorst
authors.forename: Mary L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Milazzo
authors.forename: Donald C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Ruthven
authors.forename: Robert D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Bradley