Effective number of breeding adults in Bufo bufo estimated from age-specific variation at minisatellite loci

Molecular Ecology
By: , and 

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Abstract

Estimates of the effective number of breeding adults were derived for three semi-isolated populations of the common toad Bufo bufo based on temporal (i.e. adult-progeny) variance in allele frequency for three highly polymorphic minisatellite loci. Estimates of spatial variance in allele frequency among populations and of age-specific measures of genetic variability are also described. Each population was characterized by a low effective adult breeding number (Nb) based on a large age-specific variance in mini-satellite allele frequency. Estimates of Nb (range 21–46 for population means across three loci) were ≊ 55–230-fold lower than estimates of total adult census size. The implications of low effective breeding numbers for long-term maintenance of genetic variability and population viability are discussed relative to the species' reproductive ecology, current land-use practices, and present and historical habitat modification and loss. The utility of indirect measures of population parameters such as Nb and Ne based on time-series data of minisatellite allele frequencies is discussed relative to similar measures estimated from commonly used genetic markers such as protein allozymes.

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Publication type Article
Publication Subtype Journal Article
Title Effective number of breeding adults in Bufo bufo estimated from age-specific variation at minisatellite loci
Series title Molecular Ecology
DOI 10.1046/j.1365-294X.1997.00238.x
Volume 6
Issue 8
Publication Date October 31, 2003
Year Published 1997
Language English
Publisher Wiley
Description 12 p.
First page 701
Last page 712
Country Great Britain
Other Geospatial Leicestershire region
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