Genetic impact of a severe El Nino event on Galapagos marine iguanas (Amblyrhynchus cristatus).

ABSTRACT: The El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is a major source of climatic disturbance, impacting the dynamics of ecosystems worldwide. Recent models predict that human-generated rises in green-house gas levels will cause an increase in the strength and frequency of El Niño warming events in the next several decades, highlighting the need to understand the potential biological consequences of increased ENSO activity. Studies have focused on the ecological and demographic implications of El Niño in a range of organisms, but there have been few systematic attempts to measure the impact of these processes on genetic diversity in populations. Here, we evaluate whether the 1997-1998 El Niño altered the genetic composition of Galápagos marine iguana populations from eleven islands, some of which expe

SUBMITTER: Steinfartz S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2110882 | biostudies-literature | 2007 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature