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Allozyme diversity levels in two congeneric Dioon spp. (Zamiaceae, Cycadales) with contrasting rarities

Plant Systematics and Evolution volume 290, pages 115–125 (2010)Cite this article

Abstract

Allozyme diversity and population genetic structure studies were conducted in populations of two Mexican cycad species occurring in adjacent and closely related biogeographic regions. We evaluated if rarity traits in Dioon caputoi, a micro-endemic species, and Dioon merolae, a regional endemic with a wider distribution, influence levels of genetic diversity in different ways. We also explored if genetic structure differs in these species, considering that they have similar population histories. Our results indicate that D. caputoi harbors lower levels of genetic diversity and allelic richness (H E = 0.358, P = 76.9, A r = 1.86) than D. merolae (H E = 0.446, P = 92.3, A r = 2). However, genetic structure does not differ between the two species despite their contrasting geographic distributions (F ST = 0.06 vs. 0.07; D. caputoi and D. merolae, respectively). The comparison of population genetic structure information with historical and geographical aspects of the populations suggests that the rarity of D. caputoi might be due to relatively recent local ecological factors.

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Acknowledgments

This study was financed by two grants: CONACyT SEMARNAT no. 2002-CO1-0183 and CONABIO no. GE004. We thank Teresa Valverde Valdes, Juan Núñez-Farfán, Luis Ortíz-Catedral, and Daniel Ruzzante for the critical review of an earlier version of this manuscript. The authors also thank Miguel Angel Pérez-Farrera, Nayeli Martínez Meléndez, Pablo Carrillo-Reyes, Juan Carlos Flores-Vázquez, and Vania Jiménez-Lobato for assistance in the field and Julia Hernández Villa and Lilián Juárez Téllez for laboratory assistance. Our sincere gratitude to Pablo Carrillo-Reyes for the elaboration of the map. This study is part of the Ph.D. dissertation of the principal author.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratorio de Ecología y Evolución de Recursos Vegetales, Centro de Investigaciones en Ecosistemas, Universidad Autónoma de México, Campus Morelia, Antigua Carretera a Pátzcuaro No. 8701, 58190, Morelia, Michoacán, Mexico

    Dánae Cabrera-Toledo

  2. Laboratorio de Genética de Poblaciones, Red de Biología Evolutiva, Instituto de Ecología, A.C. km 2.5 Antigua Carretera a Coatepec No. 351, 91070, Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico

    Jorge González-Astorga

  3. Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas, Universidad Veracruzana, Av. Luis Castelazo Ayala s/n, Col. Industrial Ánimas, 91190, Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico

    Fernando Nicolalde-Morejón

  4. Laboratorio de Sistemática Molecular (Jardín Botánico), Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, 3er Circuito Exterior, Ciudad Universitaria, Coyoacán, 04510, Mexico D.F., Mexico

    Francisco Vergara-Silva

  5. Laboratorio de Biología Evolutiva de Cycadales, Red de Biología Evolutiva, Instituto de Ecología, A.C. km 2.5 Antigua Carretera a Coatepec No. 351, 91070, Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico

    Andrew P. Vovides

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  1. Dánae Cabrera-Toledo
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  2. Jorge González-Astorga
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  3. Fernando Nicolalde-Morejón
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  4. Francisco Vergara-Silva
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Correspondence to Dánae Cabrera-Toledo.

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Cabrera-Toledo, D., González-Astorga, J., Nicolalde-Morejón, F. et al. Allozyme diversity levels in two congeneric Dioon spp. (Zamiaceae, Cycadales) with contrasting rarities. Plant Syst Evol 290, 115–125 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00606-010-0354-6

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Keywords

  • Allelic richness
  • Biogeographic history
  • Dioon caputoi
  • Dioon merolae
  • Genetic structure
  • Heterozygote excess
  • Zamiaceae