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- Title
Microsatellite Diversity and Fitness in Stranded Juvenile Harp Seals (Phoca groenlandica).
- Authors
Kretzmann, Maria; Mentzer, Laura; DiGiovanni Jr., Robert; Leslie, Matthew S.; Amato, George
- Abstract
A positive relationship between genetic diversity at neutral markers and juvenile survival has been demonstrated for many vertebrate populations, although the correlation is typically weak and the explanation for it remains controversial. We assessed variation at 9-12 microsatellite loci in 65 juvenile harp seals (Phoca groenlandica) that stranded in poor condition around Long Island, NY, from 2001 to 2004. Compared with seals that died, surviving individuals had slightly higher measures of mean d², which reflects the size difference between alleles within an individual and provides an index of outbreeding. In contrast, there were no significant differences between survivors and nonsurvivors in heterozygosity or estimates of internal relatedness. This pattern is attributed to the fact that these microsatellite markers were exceptionally variable in this species (9-22 alleles per locus), and all individuals were heterozygous at most loci. Under these circumstances, mean d² may provide a powerful measure for assessing diversity-fitness correlations.
- Subjects
LONG Island (N.Y.); NEW York (State); MICROSATELLITE repeats; SPECIES diversity; HARP seal; GENETIC markers; VERTEBRATES; HETEROZYGOSITY
- Publication
Journal of Heredity, 2006, Vol 97, Issue 6, p555
- ISSN
0022-1503
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1093/jhered/esl043