Genetic Variation and Genetic Differentiation among Allopatric Populations of Megadontomys

• Published in: Journal of mammalogy Vol. 68; no. 2; pp. 305 - 312
• Main Authors: Werbitsky, Darrin, Kilpatrick, C. William
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Provo, UT American Society of Mammalogists 26-05-1987; Brigham Young University, Department of Zoology
• Subjects: Alleles; Animal genetics; Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Electrophoresis; Evolutionary genetics; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gels; Genetic loci; Genetic variation; Genetics of eukaryotes. Biological and molecular evolution; Mice; Population genetics; Population genetics, reproduction patterns; Rodents; Vertebrata; Heterozygozity; Central America; Interspecific comparison; Rodentia; Genetic distance; Phylogeny; Population genetics; Vertebrata; Mammalia; America; Electrophoresis; Mexico; Geographical variation; Polymorphism
• ISSN: 0022-2372; 1545-1542; 1545-1542; 0022-2372
• DOI: 10.2307/1381469

Electrophoretic variation and biochemical differentiation were examined among four populations of Megadontomys thomasi from the Mexican states of Guerrero, Oaxaca, Veracruz, and Hidalgo at 30 structural loci. These relict populations demonstrated low levels of heterozygosity and very low levels of genetic polymorphism. Although the level of genetic differentiation among populations within a subspecies was similar to reports for other rodents, the extent of differentiation among these subspecies was greater than the levels reported for other subspecies of rodents. Estimates of divergence times suggest that Megadontomys has been subdivided for at least 3.0 million years. Cladistic analysis of electromorphs from the subspecies of Megadontomys using Neotoma as an out-group and phenetic analysis both indicate that M. t. thomasi is most closely related to M. t. nelsoni as was suggested by Musser (1964).