Hybridization and low genetic diversity in the endangered Alabama red-bellied turtle (Pseudemys alabamensis).

ABSTRACT: Pseudemys alabamensis is one of the most endangered freshwater turtle species in the United States due to its restricted geographic distribution in coastal Alabama and Mississippi. Populations of P. alabamensis are geographically isolated from one another by land and saltwater, which could act as barriers to gene flow. It is currently unknown how differentiated these populations are from one another and whether they have experienced reductions in population size. Previous work found morphological differences between Alabama and Mississippi populations, suggesting that they may be evolutionarily distinct. Other Pseudemys turtles such as P. concinna and P. floridana occur naturally within the same geographic area as P. alabamensis and are known to hy

SUBMITTER: Moreno N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9163798 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature