Genetic variation, breeding system evolution, and conservation of the narrow sand dune endemic Stellaria arenicola and the widespread S. longipes (Caryophyllaceae)

Genetic variation was examined by electrophoresis in 14 populations of Stellaria arenicola, an endemic of the Athabasca sand dunes in northern Saskatchewan, Canada, and seven populations of S. longipes, its progenitor. Three of the S. longipes populations were sympatric with the endemic. Populations...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:American journal of botany 1994-07, Vol.81 (7), p.904-911
Main Authors: Purdy, B.G, Bayer, R.J, Macdonald, S.E
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Alleles
ALOGAMIA
Biological and medical sciences
Botany
DISTRIBUCION NATURAL
DISTRIBUTION NATURELLE
DUNAS
DUNE
Endemic species
ESPECE
ESPECIES
EVOLUCION
EVOLUTION
Evolutionary genetics
FILOGENIA
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
GENE
GENES
Genetic diversity
Genetic loci
Genetic variation
GENETICA
Genetics
GENETIQUE
LOCI
LOCUS
OUTBREEDING
PHYLOGENIE
Plant cytology, morphology, systematics, chorology and evolution
Plant evolution
Plant reproduction
Plants
POLIMORFISMO GENETICO
POLYMORPHISME GENETIQUE
Population genetics
Sand dunes
SASKATCHEWAN
Stellar progenitors
STELLARIA
Systematics and Evolution
VARIACION GENETICA
VARIATION GENETIQUE
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Summary:Genetic variation was examined by electrophoresis in 14 populations of Stellaria arenicola, an endemic of the Athabasca sand dunes in northern Saskatchewan, Canada, and seven populations of S. longipes, its progenitor. Three of the S. longipes populations were sympatric with the endemic. Populations of the endemic were found to have fewer alleles per polymorphic locus (2.21 vs. 2.37), fewer polymorphic loci (29.9 vs. 33.8), and lower genetic diversity (0.087 vs. 0.107) than populations of the progenitor. Genetic identities for all pairs of populations were high (0.932 to 1.000). The endemic had one novel allele and shared ten alleles with progenitor populations from the sand dunes that were not found in other populations of S. longipes. Populations of both species were found to partition most of their genetic variation within populations. An investigation of the multilocus outcrossing rates revealed that S. arenicola had higher rates of selfing and biparental inbreeding than S. longipes. This study suggests that partial genetic isolation through a shift in the breeding system, in addition to previously reported strong directional selection, has been important in the sympatric evolution of the endemic S. arenicola. The close genetic relationship between populations of S. arenicola and S. longipes found on the Athabasca sand dunes supports the Suggestion that the endemic evolved while sympatric to the gene pool of the progenitor species that is found presently in the region
ISSN:0002-9122
1537-2197
DOI:10.2307/2445771