J.W. Arntzen
T. Burke
K.T. Scribner
1997
<p><span>Estimates of the effective number of breeding adults were derived for three semi-isolated populations of the common toad </span><i>Bufo bufo</i><span> 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 (</span><i>N</i><sub>b</sub><span>) based on a large age-specific variance in mini-satellite allele frequency. Estimates of </span><i>N</i><sub>b</sub><span> (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 </span><i>N</i><sub>b</sub><span> and </span><i>N</i><sub>e</sub><span> 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.</span></p>
application/pdf
10.1046/j.1365-294X.1997.00238.x
en
Wiley
Effective number of breeding adults in Bufo bufo estimated from age-specific variation at minisatellite loci
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