Patterns of genetic divergence in the Rio Grande cooter (Pseudemys gorzugi), a riverine turtle inhabiting an arid and anthropogenically modified system.

ABSTRACT: The lower Rio Grande and Pecos River of the southwest United States have been heavily modified by human activities, profoundly impacting the integrity of their aquatic wildlife. In this context, we focused our study on the population genomics of the Rio Grande Cooter (Pseudemys gorzugi), a freshwater turtle of increasing conservation concern, residing in these two rivers and their tributaries. The genetic data revealed two distinct populations: one in the Pecos and Black Rivers of New Mexico and another in the Rio Grande and Devils River of Texas, with admixed individuals identified at the confluence of the Rio Grande and Pecos River. In addition to having a smaller geographic range, we found lower observed heterozygosity, reduced nucleotide diversity, and a smaller effective population si

SUBMITTER: Vandewege MW 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11081133 | biostudies-literature | 2024 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature