Genetic diversity in the endangered terrestrial orchid Cypripedium japonicum in East Asia: Insights into population history and implications for conservation.

ABSTRACT: Little is known about levels and patterns of genetic diversity for the entire range of endangered orchids native to China, Korea, and Japan. In this study, we focus on Cypripedium japonicum and suggest three hypotheses: 1) that genetic drift has been a primary evolutionary force; 2) that populations in central and western China harbor higher levels of genetic variation relative to those from eastern China; and 3) that C. japonicum in China maintains the highest genetic variation among the three countries. Using ISSR and SCoT markers, we investigated genetic diversity in 17 populations to test the three hypotheses. As anticipated, we found low levels of genetic diversity at the species level with substantially high degree of genetic divergence, which can be mainly attributed to random genet

SUBMITTER: Tian HZ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5915404 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature