title: Population structure as revealed by mtDNA and microsatellites in northern fur seals, Callorhinus ursinus, throughout their range.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The northern fur seal (Callorhinus ursinus; NFS) is a widely distributed pinniped that has been shown to exhibit a high degree of philopatry to islands, breeding areas on an island, and even to specific segments of breeding areas. This level of philopatry could conceivably lead to highly genetically divergent populations. However, northern fur seals have the potential for dispersal across large distances and have experienced repeated rapid population expansions following glacial retreat and the more recent cessation of intensive harvest pressure.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Using microsatellite and mitochondrial loci, we examined population structure in NFS throughout their range. We found only weak population genetic structure among breeding islands including significant F(ST) and Phi(ST) values between eastern and western Pacific islands.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We conclude that insufficient time since rapid population expansion events (both post glacial and following the cessation of intense harvest pressure) mixed with low levels of contemporary migration have resulted in an absence of genetic structure across the entire northern fur seal range.
authors.affiliation: National Marine Mammal Laboratory, Alaska Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, Seattle, Washington, United States of America. Bobette.Dickerson@noaa.gov
authors.forename: Bobette R
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Dickerson
authors.forename: Rolf R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Ream
authors.forename: Sacha N
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Vignieri
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bentzen
mesh_terms: D000483:Alleles; D000818:Animals; D001499:Bayes Theorem; D001947:Breeding; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial / Q000235:genetics*; D017753:Ecosystem; D005260:Female; D046069:Fur Seals / Q000235:genetics*; D056426:Genetic Loci / Q000235:genetics; D005828:Genetics, Population; D005843:Geography; D006239:Haplotypes / Q000235:genetics; D016013:Likelihood Functions; D018895:Microsatellite Repeats / Q000235:genetics*; D008957:Models, Genetic; D011156:Population Density; D011157:Population Dynamics
chemical_list: D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial