Evolution of microsatellite loci in the adaptive radiation of Hawaiian honeycreepers.

ABSTRACT: Previous studies have examined germ-line mutations to infer the processes that generate and maintain variability in microsatellite loci. Few studies, however, have examined patterns to infer processes that act on microsatellite loci over evolutionary time. Here, we examine changes in 8 dinucleotide loci across the adaptive radiation of Hawaiian honeycreepers. The loci were found to be highly variable across the radiation, and we did not detect ascertainment bias with respect to allelic diversity or allele size ranges. In examining patterns at the sequence level, we found that changes in flanking regions, repeat motifs, or repeat interruptions were often shared between closely related species and may be phylogenetically informative. Genetic distance measures based on microsatellites were st

SUBMITTER: Eggert LS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2734101 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Mar-Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature