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Journal of Heredity 2003:94(5)
© 2003 The American Genetic Association 94:399-406

Genetic Structure, Mating System, and Long-Distance Gene Flow in Heart of Palm (Euterpe edulis Mart.)

F. A. Gaiotto, D. Grattapaglia, and R. Vencovsky

From the Laboratório de Genética de Plantas, EMBRAPA–Recursos Genéticos e Biotecnologia, C.P. 02372, Brasília, DF 70770-900, Brazil (Gaiotto and Grattapaglia); Departamento de Genética, ESALQ/USP, Av. Pádua Dias, 11 C.P. 83, Piracicaba, SP 13400-970 Brazil (Gaiotto and Vencovsky); and Laboratório de Biotecnologia Genômica, Universidade Católica de Brasília, SGAN 916 Módulo B Brasília, DF 70790-160, Brazil (Grattapaglia). F. A. Gaiotto is currently at the Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz—UESC, Rodovia Ilhéus-Itabuna, km 16 Salobrinho, Ilhéus/BA CEP 45650-000.

Address correspondence to D. Grattapaglia at one of the addresses above, or e-mail: dario{at}cenargen.embrapa.br.

We report a detailed analysis of the population genetic structure, mating system, and gene flow of heart of palm (Euterpe edulis Mart.–Arecaceae) in central Brazil. This palm is considered a keystone species because it supplies fruits for birds and rodents all year and is intensively harvested for culinary purposes. Two populations of this palm tree were examined, using 18 microsatellite loci. The species displays a predominantly outcrossed mating system (tm = 0.94), with a probability of full sibship greater than 70% within open-pollinated families. The following estimates of interpopulation genetic variation were calculated and found significant: FIT = 0.17, FIS = 0.12, FST = 0.06, and RST = 0.07. This low but significant level of interpopulation genetic variation indicates high levels of gene flow. Two adult trees were identified as likely seed parents (P > 99.9%) of juveniles located at a distance of 22 km. Gene flow over such distances has not been reported before for tropical tree species. The establishment and management of in situ genetic reserves or ex situ conservation and breeding populations for E. edulis should contemplate the collection of several hundreds open-pollinated maternal families from relatively few distant populations to maximize the genetic sampling of a larger number of pollen parents.


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