Mitochondrial DNA differentiation in North Atlantic eels: Population genetic consequences of an unusual life history pattern
- 1 June 1986
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
- Vol. 83 (12) , 4350-4354
- https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.83.12.4350
Abstract
A survey of restriction site polymorphism in the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) of the American eel Anguilla rostrata showed no genetic divergence among samples from a 4000-km stretch of North America coastline. Lack of geographic differentiation in mtDNA over such a large area contrasts sharply with results for terrestrial and freshwater vertebrates and is most likely attributable to the extraordinary life history of these catadromous fishes, which involves perhaps a single spawning population in the western tropical mid-Atlantic Ocean and subsequent widespread dispersal of larvae by ocean currents. However, samples of the European eel (nominally A. anguilla) are highly distinct from A. rostrata in mtDNA genotype (distinguishable by 11 of 14 restriction endonucleases), contradicting some previous suggestions that the two forms belong to the same panmictic population. Results of this study emphasize the importance of life history in shaping population genetic structure.This publication has 4 references indexed in Scilit:
- The use of restriction endonucleases to measure mitochondrial DNA sequence relatedness in natural populationsJournal of Molecular Evolution, 1981
- Polymorphism in mitochondrial DNA of humans as revealed by restriction endonuclease analysis.Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 1980
- Mathematical model for studying genetic variation in terms of restriction endonucleases.Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 1979
- Rapid evolution of animal mitochondrial DNA.Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 1979