ANALYSIS OF MITOCHONDRIAL DNA POLYMORPHISMS AMONG CHANNEL ISLAND DEER MICE

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Abstract
Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) from 131 deer mice, Peromyscus maniculatus, collected on the eight California Channel Islands [USA] and from seven southern California mainland locations, was isolated and analyzed for restriction endonuclease fragment polymorphisms. A total of 26 mtDNA genotypes were distinguishable among the deer mice sampled. All of the island samples had mtDNA restriction-fragment patterns not found among the mainland samples. Distributions of specific restriction-fragment patterns provide evidence for at least four separate colonization events to the Channel Islands. The estimated percentage of sequence divergence between all mtDNA''s in this study was less than 1%, suggesting that colonization of the islands occurred fairly recently, probably within the last 500,000 years. Levels of mtDNA heterogeneity were much lower within island populations than within mainland populations.
Funding Information
  • National Institutes of Health (GM 32025)
  • USPHS predoctoral fellowship