Genetic status and timing of a weevil introduction to Santa Cruz Island, Galapagos.

ABSTRACT: Successful invasive species can overcome or circumvent the potential genetic loss caused by an introduction bottleneck through a rapid population expansion and admixture from multiple introductions. We explore the genetic makeup and the timing of a species introduction to Santa Cruz Island in the Galápagos archipelago. We investigate the presence of processes that can maintain genetic diversity in populations of the broad-nosed weevil Galapaganus howdenae howdenae. Analyses of combined genotypes for 8 microsatellite loci showed evidence of past population size reductions through moment and likelihood-based estimators. No evidence of admixture through multiple introductions was found, but substantial current population sizes (N0 298, 95% credible limits 50-2300), genetic diversity comparabl

SUBMITTER: Mok HF 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3984438 | biostudies-literature | 2014 May-Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature