Genetic structure is influenced by environmental barriers: empirical evidence from the common voleMicrotus arvalis populations |
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Authors: | Mirosław Ratkiewicz Anetta Borkowska |
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Institution: | 1. Instiute of Biology, University of Bia?ystok, Swierkowa 20 B, 15-950, Bia?stok, Poland
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Abstract: | One of the major challenges in population biology is the identification of barriers to gene flow and/or secondary contacts
between differentiated entities. The level of genetic differentiation among eight populations of the common voleMicrotus arvalis (Pallas, 1779) around the Biebrza Wetlands, NE Poland was examined by analyzing seven microsatellite loci for 140 voles and
testing for the presence of barriers to gene flow. Overall population differentiation was moderate and significant (F
ST = 0.081,p < 0.001) and there was no correlation between geographical and genetic distances among populations. We found a relatively
high level of genetic variability within the populations studied. This could be explained by male bias in dispersal, a phenomenon
recently found inM. arvalis. Patterns of genetic structure visualized in synthetic genetic maps showed clear gradients along a southeast-northwest axis
across the study area, as well as the presence of a potential barrier to dispersal. The position of a barrier to gene flow
identified using Monmonier’s maximum difference algorithm likely corresponds to humid habitats of the Biebrza Wetlands. These
results suggest that the presence of environmental barriers to gene flow and drift may be responsible for the observed spatial
genetic structure ofM. arvalis in the Biebrza Valley. Institute of Biology, University of Białystok, OEwierkowa 20 B, 15-950 Białystok, Poland, |
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