Biochemical Systematics of Populations of Peromyscus boylii. I. Populations from East-Central Mexico with Low Fundamental Numbers

Abstract

Electrophoretic variation of proteins encoded by 30 structural loci was examined among 18 populations of Peromyscus boylii with fundamental numbers ranging from 52 to 54. Two genetically distinct forms were identified among the populations of P. b. levipes from Hidalgo. The populations from western Hidalgo were genetically similar to populations of P. b. rowleyi and appear to represent populations of that subspecies. Other populations of P. b. levipes with low fundamental numbers demonstrated total genetic differentiation at two loci (Trf-1 and Amy-1) from populations of P. b. rowleyi . No evidence of gene flow between these two taxa was observed, although no sympatric populations have been identified. Based upon the extent of genetic differentiation and preliminary data from populations of P. b. levipes with higher fundamental numbers, P. b. rowleyi appears to be reproductively isolated from P. b. levipes and should be considered specifically distinct.