Abstract

Environmental parameters were used to investigate barriers to gene flow and genetic differentiation in the Eurasian perch (Perca fluviatilis L.) at a small geographical scale in an archipelago system. Significant genetic differentiation was found among locations. Distance per se did not play a major role in the reduction of gene flow. Instead, the largest genetic differences between populations correlated with major changes in environmental conditions, such as temperature at time of spawning. The results show that genetic divergence can arise between populations in habitats thought to be highly connected, and that environmental variables can influence the level of gene flow between populations, including those that are at small spatial scales (tens of kilometres). The importance of a landscape approach when investigating genetic differentiation and defining barriers to gene flow is highlighted.

Keywords

barriers to gene flow; landscape genetics; microsatellite DNA; Perca fluviatilis L; population differentiation

Published in

Journal of Fish Biology
2010, Volume: 76, number: 5, pages: 1159-1172
Publisher: WILEY-BLACKWELL

UKÄ Subject classification

Evolutionary Biology
Ecology
Genetics


Publication identifier

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1095-8649.2010.02565.x

Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/67074