Abstract
Randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD)variation in populations of the koala, Phascolarctoscinereus, was investigated, revealing significantdifferences in the level of diversity between southernand northern regions of eastern Australia. Of the20 polymorphic RAPD markers identified in koalas, 4-7were polymorphic in southern populations, while 12-17were polymorphic in northern populations. Analysis of molecular variance revealed a significantdifference in the estimated variance between koalas fromnorthern and those from southern regions (P < 0.001),where populations from the north were greater than twice as variable as their southerncousins. The total genetic diversity observed wasattributed to regional differences (30.91%), populationdifferences within a region (11.77%), and differencesamong individuals within a population (57.32%). Forthe within-region analyses, a large proportion of thegenetic diversity was attributable to individualdifferences within a population, 80.34% for the north and 91.23% for the south. These resultsdemonstrate that RAPD markers are useful for determiningpopulation structure among koalas.
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Fowler, E.V., Hoeben, P. & Timms, P. Randomly Amplified Polymorphic DNA Variation in Populations of Eastern Australian Koalas, Phascolarctos cinereus. Biochem Genet 36, 381–393 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1018701630713
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1018701630713