High genetic load in an old isolated butterfly population.

ABSTRACT: We investigated inbreeding depression and genetic load in a small (N(e) ∼ 100) population of the Glanville fritillary butterfly (Melitaea cinxia), which has been completely isolated on a small island [Pikku Tytärsaari (PT)] in the Baltic Sea for at least 75 y. As a reference, we studied conspecific populations from the well-studied metapopulation in the Åland Islands (ÅL), 400 km away. A large population in Saaremaa, Estonia, was used as a reference for estimating genetic diversity and N(e). We investigated 58 traits related to behavior, development, morphology, reproductive performance, and metabolism. The PT population exhibited high genetic load (L = 1 - W(PT)/W(ÅL)) in a range of fitness-related traits including adult weight (L = 0.12), flight metabolic rate (L = 0.53), egg viability (

SUBMITTER: Mattila AL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3443129 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature