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The Journal of Heredity 2000:91(6)
© 2000 The American Genetic Association 91:458-463

A comparison of RAPD versus microsatellite DNA markers in population studies of the Massasauga rattlesnake

SC Lougheed1,*, HL Gibbs2, KA Prior3, and PJ Weatherhead4

1Department of Biology, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada K7L 3N6 2Department of Biology, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada 3Endangered Species Division, Canadian Wildlife Service, Hull, Quebec, Canada 4Department of Biology, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada *Corresponding author E-mail: lougheed@biology.queensu.ca

We compared genetic differentiation among populations of the threatened massasauga rattlesnake (Sistrurus c. catenatus) using two types of nuclear molecular markers: randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers and microsatellites. Analyses of molecular variance (AMOVA) and GST and FST analyses indicated that levels of among-population differentiation between regional populations (>100 km) were comparable for both markers. However, microsatellites were superior in population assignment tests and at discerning fine-scale genetic differentiation between subpopulations separated by tens of kilometers. These results argue that both types of markers are suitable for defining broad-scale genetic structures in snake populations and can provide important inputs into conservation initiatives of focal taxa. However, our analyses suggest that microsatellites are better for detecting structure at limited spatial scales.


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H. L. Gibbs and P. J. Weatherhead
Insights into Population Ecology and Sexual Selection in Snakes Through the Application of DNA-Based Genetic Markers
J. Hered., March 1, 2001; 92(2): 173 - 179.
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