INTRASPECIFIC VARIATION IN EFFECTIVE POPULATION SIZE IN TALAR TUCO-TUCOS (CTENOMYS TALARUM): THE ROLE OF DEMOGRAPHY

Abstract

Abstract Effective population size (Ne) is a fundamental concept that links population structure to the evolutionary processes that shape genetic variation. Demographic estimates of Ne may be influenced by a number of factors, including adult sex ratio and variance in individual reproductive success. Genetic estimates of Ne are influenced not only by these variables but also by neighborhood size, degree of population substructure, and historical changes in population size. Hence, comparisons of demographic and genetic estimates of Ne may yield important insights into the parameters that determine effective size. To explore interactions between demography and Ne, we compared estimates of effective population size/census size (Ne/N) for 2 demographically distinct populations of the talar tuco-tuco (Ctenomys talarum), a subterranean rodent from Buenos Aires Province, Argentina. Examination of data on adult sex ratios and reproductive success obtained from long-term field studies of C. talarum at Mar de Cobo ...