title: Inter and intra-population phenotypic and genotypic structuring in the European whitefish Coregonus lavaretus, a rare freshwater fish in Scotland.
abstract: This study revealed between-lake genetic structuring between Coregonus lavaretus collected from the only two native populations of this species in Scotland, U.K. (Lochs Eck and Lomond) evidenced by the existence of private alleles (12 in Lomond and four in Eck) and significant genetic differentiation (FST = 0·056) across 10 microsatellite markers. Juvenile C. lavaretus originating from eggs collected from the two lakes and reared in a common-garden experiment showed clear phenotypic differences in trophic morphology (i.e. head and body shape) between these populations indicating that these characteristics were, at least partly, inherited. Microsatellite analysis of adults collected from different geographic regions within Loch Lomond revealed detectable and statistically significant but relatively weak genetic structuring (FST = 0·001-0·024) and evidence of private alleles related to the basin structure of the lake. Within-lake genetic divergence patterns suggest three possibilities for this observed pattern: (1) differential selection pressures causing divergence into separate gene pools, (2) a collapse of two formerly divergent gene pools and (3) a stable state maintained by balancing selection forces resulting from spatial variation in selection and lake heterogeneity. Small estimates of effective population sizes for the populations in both lakes suggest that the capacity of both populations to adapt to future environmental change may be limited.
authors.affiliation: Scottish Centre for Ecology and the Natural Environment, University of Glasgow, Rowardennan, Glasgow G63 0AW, U.K.
authors.forename: C E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Adams
authors.affiliation: Scottish Natural Heritage, Caspian House, Clydebank Business Park, Clydebank, Glasgow G81 2NR, U.K.
authors.forename: C W
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Bean
authors.affiliation: Scottish Centre for Ecology and the Natural Environment, University of Glasgow, Rowardennan, Glasgow G63 0AW, U.K.
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Dodd
authors.affiliation: Scottish Centre for Ecology and the Natural Environment, University of Glasgow, Rowardennan, Glasgow G63 0AW, U.K.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Down
authors.affiliation: Scottish Centre for Ecology and the Natural Environment, University of Glasgow, Rowardennan, Glasgow G63 0AW, U.K.
authors.forename: E C
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Etheridge
authors.affiliation: Environment Agency, Ghyll Mount, Gillan Way, Penrith 40 Business Park, Penrith, Cumbria CA11 9BP, U.K.
authors.forename: A R D
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Gowans
authors.affiliation: Scottish Centre for Ecology and the Natural Environment, University of Glasgow, Rowardennan, Glasgow G63 0AW, U.K.
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Hooker
authors.affiliation: Department of Arctic and Marine Biology, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, N-9037 Tromsø, Norway.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Knudsen
authors.affiliation: Scottish Centre for Ecology and the Natural Environment, University of Glasgow, Rowardennan, Glasgow G63 0AW, U.K.
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Lyle
authors.affiliation: Lake Ecosystems Group, Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Lancaster Environment Centre, Library Avenue, Bailrigg, Lancaster LA1 4AP, U.K.
authors.forename: I J
authors.initials: IJ
authors.lastname: Winfield
authors.affiliation: Department of Arctic and Marine Biology, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, N-9037 Tromsø, Norway.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Præbel
mesh_terms: D000483:Alleles; D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D005788:Gene Pool; D014644:Genetic Variation; D005828:Genetics, Population; D005838:Genotype; D060106:Lakes; D008297:Male; D018895:Microsatellite Repeats; D010641:Phenotype; D012487:Salmonidae / Q000235:genetics*; D012606:Scotland
keywords: early divergence; ecological evolution; environmental change; genetic structure; microsatellite markers; speciation