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Genetic differentiation ofMytilus edulis in eastern North America

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Abstract

There is significant differentiation at five polymorphic loci ofMytilus edulis among certain geographical areas of the Atlantic coast of North America. Non-metric multidimensional numerical methods distinguished three population groups: (I) populations south of Cape Cod, (II) populations throughout the Gulf of Maine, Gulf of St. Lawrence, areas of both southern and northern Newfoundland, and southern Hudson Bay, and (III) populations in southeastern Nova Scotia, northern Newfoundland and Hudson Strait, Quebec. Each subset consists of populations that exhibit characteristic multilocus, multiple allele genotypes. Populations in Groups II and III are spatially interdigitated among each other. At least one geographical area of mixing between genetically distinct populations occurs in northeastern Newfoundland. There is no evidence for interbreeding among genetically distinct individuals in mixed populations, suggesting the possibility that populations in the Atlantic Canadian Provinces and areas of northern Canada may consist of two distinct species.

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Author notes

  1. J. G. Hall

    Present address: Department of Biology, University of California, San Diego, 92093, La Jolla, California, USA

  2. D. J. Innes

    Present address: Department of Biology, University of Windsor, N9B 3P4, Windsor, Ontario, Canada

  3. A. J. Zera

    Present address: Department of Zoology, University of Texas, 78717, Austin, Texas, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Ecology and Evolution, State University of New York, 11794, Stony Brook, New York, USA

    R. K. Koehn, J. G. Hall, D. J. Innes & A. J. Zera

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  1. R. K. Koehn
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  2. J. G. Hall
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  3. D. J. Innes
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  4. A. J. Zera
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Communicated by J. M. Lawrence, Tampa

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Koehn, R.K., Hall, J.G., Innes, D.J. et al. Genetic differentiation ofMytilus edulis in eastern North America. Mar. Biol. 79, 117–126 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00951820

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