Large-scale adaptive divergence in Boechera fecunda, an endangered wild relative of Arabidopsis.

ABSTRACT: Many biological species are threatened with extinction because of a number of factors such as climate change and habitat loss, and their preservation depends on an accurate understanding of the extent of their genetic variability within and among populations. In this study, we assessed the genetic divergence of five quantitative traits in 10 populations of an endangered cruciferous species, Boechera fecunda, found in only several populations in each of two geographic regions (WEST and EAST) in southwestern Montana. We analyzed variation in quantitative traits, neutral molecular markers, and environmental factors and provided evidence that despite the restricted geographical distribution of this species, it exhibits a high level of genetic variation and regional adaptation. Conservation eff

SUBMITTER: Leamy LJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4222205 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature