Abstract
ABSTRACTEndemic species typically have a narrow niche breadth, and are likely more vulnerable to extinction than more widespread taxa. Squalidus multimaculatus is a small cyprinid endemic to the Korean Peninsula, and its reported geographical range was restricted to several small rivers located along the southeast coast. Several populations of S. multimaculatus have supposedly been subject to a variety of recent anthropogenic actions. Here, we analyzed the pattern of genetic diversity within and among populations of S. multimaculatus using nine microsatellite loci to quantify the relative contributions of human-mediated processes to the contemporary distribution and genetic structure. Overall, low levels of genetic diversity were exhibited in the populations of S. multimaculatus. Genetic differentiations among populations were not completely represented by their geographical proximity, likely resulting from the low intrapopulation genetic variability and anthropogenic transplants. The most conspicuous outcome of the anthropogenic activities was the introgression of alleles from a closely related species, S. gracilis majimae. Our study showed that anthropogenic transplanting, even with only a small number of individuals, can challenge our conservation goal to maintain the species integrity that has long been shaped in evolutionary processes.
Highlights
Evolutionary history and dispersal ability are key components in shaping natural distribution of a species, and each species has a unique geographic distribution (Goldberg and Lande 2007; Gaston 2009)
Low levels of genetic diversity were exhibited in the populations of S. multimaculatus
The low genetic diversity in S. multimaculatus was obvious when compared with S. g. majimae, since no S. multimaculatus population was higher in any diversity estimates than population GM
Summary
Evolutionary history and dispersal ability are key components in shaping natural distribution of a species, and each species has a unique geographic distribution (Goldberg and Lande 2007; Gaston 2009). While many species occupy wide geographic areas, other species are endemic, being restricted to a small range. Since endemic species typically have a narrow niche breadth, they are likely more prone to extinction than more widespread taxa (Gaston et al 1997; Lamoreux et al 2006). Many of endemic species are primary targets of national conservation priorities (Lamoreux et al 2006). To develop systematic conservation strategies of endemic freshwater species, historical and contemporary factors that have shaped its current distribution and genetic structure must be determined
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