Genetic Distance Coefficients Research Articles

Multivariate Quantitative Genetics of Anthropometric Traits from the Boas Data

The use of multivariate quantitative trait information to address questions of population relationships and evolutionary issues has a long-standing history in human anthropometry. Previous analyses have usually rested on a number of explicit or implicit assumptions that allow phenotypic information to be used as a proxy for quantitative genetic information. One (usually implicit) assumption is that the additive genetic variance-covariance matrix (G) among traits is proportional to the phenotypic variance-covariance matrix (P). In this study we discuss the implications of this assumption, demonstrating that if it is true that G = h2P, where h2 is some constant of proportionality, then (1) the biological (phenotypic) Mahalanobis distance will be proportional to genetic distance, (2) phenotypic and genetic allometry coefficients will be equal, and (3) evolutionary models will become simplified. We then use a multivariate quantitative genetic analysis of 12 anthropometric traits in 5 tribes to demonstrate that G = h2P for at least a portion of the Boas data.

Molecular identification and genetic analysis for 24 turf-type Cynodon cultivars by Sequence-Related Amplified Polymorphism markers

Bermudagrass ( Cynodon ssp.) germplasm is genetically diverse and widely distributed in the world. The study was conducted to identify and assess the molecular variation and relationship among 24 cultivars developed in China, Australia and the USA. Sequence-Related Amplified Polymorphism (SRAP) was applied to cultivars identification in this study for the first time. Thirty of the 90 SRAP primer combinations generated a total of 274 clearly bands encompassing 249 (91%) polymorphic. Each bermudagrass cultivar has its unique binary code and can be distinguished from the others. Three distinct clusters were obtained by unweighted pair-group method with arithmetic averages based on the polymorphic markers. Coefficients of genetic distance among the genotypes ranged from 0.57 to 0.97. The results demonstrated that SRAP marker is a stable molecular marker technique for the identification of bermudagrass cultivars and their genetic relationships.

Assessment of genetic diversity in Venezuelan rice cultivars using simple sequence repeats markers

In Venezuela, pedigree analyses indicate that the rice varieties currently under cultivation are closely related. Effective breeding programs, based on knowledge of the genetic diversity of cultivars, are needed to broaden the genetic bases of rice germplasm in the country. In this study, we used a set of 48 simple-sequence-repeat (SSR) markers to assess the genetic diversity of 11 Venezuelan rice cultivars, released by the National Rice Breeding Program between 1978 and 2007. A total of 203 alleles were detected, the number of alleles ( NA ) per marker ranged from 2 to 9, with an average of 4.23. The average genic diversity ( H ) over all SSR loci for the 18 genotypes was 0.524, ranging from 0.105 to 0.815. Positive correlations were found between H at each locus, NA , the allele size range and the maximum number of repeats. Venezuelan cultivars showed lower H (mean = 0.37) and NA (total = 124, mean = 2.58) than the whole sample. UPGMA-cluster-analysis based on genetic distance coefficients clearly separated all the genotypes , and showed that the Venezuelan rice varieties are closely related. Molecular identification of 7 Venezuelan cultivars could be done with 9 primers pairs which produced 10 genotype-specific-alleles. Although the genetic diversity was low, SSRs proved to be an efficient tool in assessing the genetic diversity of rice genotypes. Implications of the low genetic diversity detected and relatedness of Venezuelan cultivars are discussed.

Relationships Among Genetic Makeup, Active Ingredient Content, and Place of Origin of the Medicinal Plant Gastrodia Tuber

Gastrodia tuber and its component gastrodin have many pharmacological effects. The chemical fingerprints and gastrodin contents of eight Gastrodia populations were determined, and the genomic DNA polymorphism of the populations was investigated. Genetic distance coefficients among the populations were calculated using the DNA polymorphism data. A dendrogram of the genetic similarities between the populations was constructed using the genetic distance coefficients. The results indicated that the genomic DNA of Gastrodia tubers was highly polymorphic; the eight populations clustered into three major groups, and the gastrodin content varied greatly among these groups. There were obvious correlations among genetic makeup, gastrodin content, and place of origin. The ecological environments in Guizhou and Shanxi may be conducive to evolution and to gastrodin biosynthesis, and more suitable for cultivation of Gastrodia tubers. These findings may provide a scientific basis for overall genetic resource management and for the selection of locations for cultivating Gastrodia tubers.

Resistance gene analog polymorphisms (RGAPs) in wild emmer wheat (Triticum dicoccoides) and their ecological associations

Using the 8 specific primer pairs based on the conserved motifs of plant resistance genes, the plant disease resistance gene analog polymorphisms (RGAPs) in 15 wild emmer wheat (Triticum dicoccoides) populations from Israel had been detected. High genetic variations at the RGAP loci were observed in T. dicoccoides populations. A total of 254 discernible bands were obtained among 115 accessions, and 192 bands (75.6%) were polymorphic. Each genotype had a unique banding profile, and the genetic similarity coefficient ranged from 0.094 to 0.862. In T. dicoccoides, the proportion of polymorphic loci (P), the genetic diversity (He) and Shannon’s information index were 0.756, 0.362 and 0.541, respectively. The proportion of polymorphic loci (P) per population averaged 0.732 (range: 0.515–0.932); genetic diversity (He) averaged 0.271 (range: 0.212–0.338); and Shannon’s information index averaged 0.404 (range: 0.310–0.493). The coefficients of genetic distance (D) among populations averaged 0.107 (range: 0.043–0.178), and the results of Mantel test (r = 0.168, P = 0.091) showed that the estimates of genetic distance were geographically independent. Neighbor-joining cluster analysis suggested that the genetic relationships of T. dicoccoides populations were associated with their ecogeographic distribution. The hierarchical analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) and the coefficient of gene differentiation (GST) values revealed that most of the variations were presented within populations, although significant differences among populations and regions were also detected. The values of P and Shannon’s information index were negatively correlated with the two factors: Tdd (day–night temperature difference) and Ev (mean annual evaporation), whereas they were positively correlated with one water factor: Rn (mean annual rainfall). The correlation matrix between He in the RGAPs and geographic variables contained 20 significant (P < 0.05) correlations. The present study established that T. dicoccoides in Israel had a considerable amount of genetic variations at RGAP loci at least partly correlated with ecological factors.

Genetic variability and differentiation in the larch populations within the range of Larix olgensis A. Henry in Primorye

The level of within- and among-population variation of larch inhabiting the range of Larix olgensis A. Henry in Primorye was estimated on the basis of 440 RAPD loci identified by means of 12 random primers. In ten population examined, the proportion of polymorphic loci was 35-60%, the average expected heterozygosity varied from 0.1340 to 2169, and the average gene flow estimate was 1.38. According to Fisher's test for heterogeneity, the pairwise differences of the fragment frequencies between the populations were statistically significant. The subdivision index G(ST) = 0.2663 indicated that the interpopulation variation component accounted for approximately 27% of the total variation. Coefficients of Nei's genetic distance between the populations varied from 0.0137 to 0.0934. Most of the samples with high support clustered according to the geographic positions relative to one another within the range. These results suggest that the populations examined are characterized by high genetic variation, like the larch populations of Siberia and the Russian Far East studied earlier, but, in contrast to the latter, exhibit higher among-population variability.

Allozyme variations in six natural populations of scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) in Turkey

Genetic variation in six natural populations of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) was determined with isoenzyme analyses. For this purpose, haploid female gametophytes of seeds and horizontal starch gel electrophoresis technique were used. A total of 17 loci and 58 alleles were observed in studying 10 enzyme systems. The average proportion of polymorphic loci for populations ranged from 58.8% to 70.6%. The average number of alleles per locus per population was 2.65. The mean estimated expected heterozygosity (He) of populations was 0.294. A rather high proportion of genetic diversity (96.4%) was due to within-population variation and the remaining (3.6%) was due to variation among populations. The level of gene flow (Nem) was found to be 6.69 per generation. Nei’s genetic distance coefficient ranged from 0.006 to 0.027 (mean 0.017) among all possible population pairs. The mean value of Nei’s genetic distance is similar to the values reported for other European Scots pine populations. The low mean value of Nei’s genetic distance among populations is enough to explain low interpopulation variation. According to genetic variation parameters, three out of six populations (Akdagmadeni-Yozgat, Refahiye-Erzincan and Vezirkopru-Samsun) appear to be preferable populations for genetic conservation and forest tree breeding programs.

Tissue expression and stock variation of isozymes of stone flounder (Kareius bicoloratus)

Tissue expression and stock variation of isozymes of stone flounder (Kareius bicoloratus) were analyzed with horizontal starch gel electrophoresis. For the fourteen enzymes assayed, 31 loci were recorded. The results indicated that all the isozymes examined were obviously tissue-specific. The expressions of SOD *, GDH *, G3PDH-2 * and ADH-2 * were detected only in liver, SDH-1 *, MDH-1 * and ADH-1 * only in muscle, and LDH-B * and LDH-C * only in eyes. In comparison, MDH-2 *, GPI-3 * and SDH-2 * were detected in all tissues examined. Other loci examined were detected in a variety of tissues. Muscle and liver were selected to detect the isozyme variation of the two geographic stocks of Qingdao and Weihai, Shandong Province, China. The percentages of polymorphic loci (P 0.99) were 29.17% and 25.00%, the observed heterozygosities (H 0) were 0.028 ± 0.014 and 0.040 ± 0.019, and the expected heterozygosities (He) were 0.039 ± 0.017 and 0.052 ± 0.022 in Qingdao and Weihai stock, respectively. The coefficient of gene differentiation (F st) and genetic distance (D) between the two stocks was 0.012 and 0.0011, respectively, indicating that the genetic differentiation is low between them. Compared with other species of Pleuronectiformes, both the percentage of polymorphic loci and the mean heterozygosity of K. bicoloratus were at a middle level.

Genetic Diversity of Nili-Ravi from Nili and Ravi Buffalo Breeds of Pakistan

A genomic study was conducted on three buffalo breeds (Nili, Ravi and Nili-Ravi) by RAPD analyses using 25 random 10-mer primers to identify the genetic diversity among these breeds. Blood samples from forty seven true representative animals of three breeds were collected from their respective home tracts. Six genomic DNA samples from each breed were randomly selected and pooled for analysis. One hundred and forty six bands were observed from 20 primers with an average of 7.3 bands (2-12). Of these 146 DNA bands, 39 fragments (26.71%) showed polymorphism among three buffalo breeds, while the rest 107 bands (73.29%) were monomorphic. The level of DNA variation was observed low. The coefficient of genetic distance among these buffalo breeds of the Punjab province of Pakistan was very low (0.0748 to 0.1312). The maximum genetic distance was found between Nili and Nili-Ravi (0.1312), while, minimum genetic distance was found between Ravi and Nili-Ravi (0.0748). The genetic distance between Nili and Ravi was 0.1298. The survey during blood sampling showed that Nili and Ravi are two separate breeds still found in huge number in their respective home tracts, while the junctures have the new breed named Nili-Ravi. The results suggest that these three breeds must be maintained and improved with their own identity in their native areas.

Simple sequence repeats marker polymorphism in emmer wheat (Triticum dicoccon Schrank): Analysis of genetic diversity and differentiation

Genetic diversity was investigated in 73 accessions of emmer wheat (Triticum dicoccon Schrank) from 11 geographical regions using a set of 29 simple-sequence repeat (SSR or microsatellite) markers, representing at least two markers for each chromosome. The SSR primers amplified a total of 357 different alleles with an average of 12.31 alleles per locus. The number of fragments detected by each primer ranged between 6 (Xgwm1066) and 21 (Xgwm268). Null alleles were detected in nine of the 29 primers used. A high level of gene diversity index was observed. Across the 29 primers, gene diversity ranged from 0.60 (Xgwm46) to 0.94 (Xgwm655), with a mean of 0.82. There was a highly significant correlation (r=0.882; p<0.01) between gene diversity index and the number of loci, showing the number of loci per se is a strong indicator of diversity. Analysis of genetic diversity within and among eleven geographical regions revealed most of the genetic diversity of the total sample resided within regions. The coefficient of gene differentiation (Gst = 0.27) showed that the genetic variation within and among the 11 geographical regions was 73 and 27%, respectively. High value of mean number of alleles per locus was found in Iran (4.86) followed by Morocco (4.10) and Armenia (4.03). On the contrary, lower mean number of alleles per locus was detected in Yemen (2.83). The average gene diversity index across regions ranged from 0.52 (Slovakia) to 0.67 (Morocco) with an average of 0.60. Multivariate techniques of principal component analysis and clustering were employed to examine genetic relationship among the 73 emmer wheat accessions vis-a-vis geographical regions of collections. The genetic distance coefficients for all possible 55 pairs of regional comparisons ranged from 0.63 (between Iran and Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan, Georgia and Slovakia) to 0.97 (between Morocco and Yemen, Spain and Georgia, and Turkey and Iran) with a mean of 0.82. From the PCA results, a two dimensional plot of PC1 versus PC2 was constructed. The scatter plot of the first two principal components which explained altogether 27% of the total variation depicted the presence of a clear pattern of geographical differentiation except in few cases like accessions from Caucasian region. Similar pattern of genetic relationships among accessions was observed in cluster analysis. The study provided genetic information of emmer wheat in relation to geographical regions of origin. The information could be utilized in crop improvement, germplasm conservation programs, and in further investigation.

AFLP analysis of genetic diversity and relationship among some Chinese domestic ducks and wild ducks

The amplified fragment length polymorphic (AFLP) technique was used to analyze the genome DNA polymorphism among 8 breeds of domestic ducks and 2 species of wild ducks. Nine of the 17 selected primers pairs gave reproducible polymorphic DNA amplification bands. The amplified bands ranged from 44 to 83 per primer pair. Of the 513 AFLP markers obtained, 498 were polymorphic. The proportion of polymorphic loci was 97.1%. The genetic distance (D) and similarity coefficients (GS) were calculated based on the polymorphic data. Between domestic ducks D ranged from 0.331 to 0.589, while between domestic ducks and the wild ducks, it ranged from 0.298 to 0.520 (vs. Anas Platyrhynchos) and from 0.316 to 0.522 (vs. A. Poecilorhyncha), respectively. The variance analysis showed no significant difference between the two groups of data, which indicated that both mallard and spot-billed ducks made contributions to domestic duck evolution. A dendrogram was constructed according to the D value.

Genetic Diversity of Chinese Cultivated Soybean Revealed by SSR Markers

ABSTRACTChina is the center of origin of soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] and is therefore expected to represent a primary source of germplasm for this crop. Genetic diversity assessments among Chinese soybean accessions should provide useful information for local and international soybean researchers to more effectively utilize this material. A sample of 129 accessions were selected to represent phenotypic variability for 14 agronomic and morphological traits in the Chinese soybean collection. These accessions were analyzed with 60 mapped simple sequence repeats (SSRs) to determine the genetic diversity represented. In total, 732 alleles were detected (12.2 alleles per locus) and the polymorphic information content (PIC) among accessions varied from 0.5 to 0.92 with a mean of 0.78. Pairwise coefficients of genetic distance among all accessions ranged from 0.05 to 0.91 (mean 0.23). Unweighted pair‐group method arithmetic average (UPGMA) analysis showed that the accessions formed five major clusters; two contained primarily Northern ecotypes, one contained primarily Yellow River Valley ecotypes, and one contained Southern ecotypes. The fifth cluster contained a mixture of Northern and Yellow River Valley ecotypes. Accessions from the lower regions of the Yellow River Valley possessed the greatest allelic richness, had the lowest pair‐wise genetic diversity estimates, and were dispersed throughout the five clusters, suggesting that the Yellow River Valley may be center of diversity for Chinese cultivated soybean. The results indicated that stratified sampling based on seven primary ecotypes may represent an optimal strategy for assembling a representative core collection of Chinese soybean.

Isoenzyme variation in two allopatric populations of Hedysarum pogonocarpum Boiss. (Fabaceae), a Turkish endemic

There are difficulties in the morphological classification of two populations of Hedysarum pogonocarpum Boiss. in Turkey. Isozyme electrophoresis was employed to examine the genetic structure relationships of these two populations of H. pogonocarpum. Alcohol dehydrogenase, malate dehydrogenase and phosphoglycomutase isozymes were analysed by horizontal starch gel electrophoresis among the progeny grown from seeds collected from the Malatya and Kahramanmaras regions where it is the natural range of H. pogonocarpum. Of the four loci identified, ADH, MDH-1, MDH-2, PGM-2, only MDH-2 was monomorphic in both populations. The proportion of polymorphic loci in both populations of H. pogonocarpum was thus 75%, and the average allele number at each locus was 1.8. ADH isoenzymes in both populations were in the Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium, whereas for the MDH-1 locus there was more heterozygosity ( P < 0.001) than expected. While the Kahramanmaras population was found to be in the Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium at the PGM-2 locus, the Malatya population displayed considerable deficiency ( P < 0.01) in heterozygosity. About 10% of the total genetic variation was due to the interpopulational differentiation. The level of gene flow was found to be 2.05 per generation. Nei's genetic distance coefficient (0.112) and genetic identity (0.888) propose that two populations analysed could be accepted as subspecies of H. pogonocarpum.

Population Genetics of Escontria chiotilla in Wild and Silvicultural Managed Populations in the Tehuacán Valley, Central Mexico

Escontria chiotilla is a columnar cactus that grows in the arid and semiarid lands of Central Mexico and produces edible fruit with economic. In the wild, this plant species is distributed as part of thorn-scrub and tropical deciduous forests, but in the Tehuacan Valley also occurs in silvicultural managed in situ populations, in which people practise artificial selection enhancing phenotypes with larger fruits. The population genetics of wild and managed populations was studied to analyse the effects of management on genetic structure of E. chiotilla. A total of 150 individuals from six populations were studied, analysing 13 loci for eight enzymes by starch gel electrophoresis. The genetic variation in wild populations was significantly higher than in managed populations (Ho = 0.079, He = 0.134, HT = 0.370, and Ho = 0.052, He = 0.110, HT = 0.298, respectively), indicating that silvicultural management has caused a reduction of the genetic variation in populations. Most of the genetic variation in both wild and managed populations occurs within populations (DST = 0.027 in the wild and 0.018 in managed populations). The genetic distance coefficients were slightly different for silvicultural managed populations than in wild ones, illustrating an incipient effect of management on the genetic structure of populations. However, values of NmGST = 3.845 and NmFST = 3.848 indicate that a high gene flow counteracts the effects of human selection on the differentiation of populations.

Assessing genetic diversity of some Anthurium andraeanum Hort. cut-flower cultivars using RAPD Markers

Randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers fingerprinting were used to assess the level of genetic variations among 24 cut-flower Anthurium andraeanum Hort. cultivars. Eight decamer primers produced a total of 98 reproducible PCR bands that were used to calculate the Nei and Li’s genetic distance (GDNL) coefficients amongst the cultivars. GDNL values ranged from 0.018 to 0.163 with an average of 0.09 (representing an average genetic similarity of 91.34%). This significantly low average genetic distance among the various cultivars indicated that genetic variation among the cultivars was low. A dendrogram, produced using unweighted pair group method using arithmetic averages (UPGMA), grouped the cultivars into four main clusters. Cultivar ‘Antartica’ was genetically distinct from all the others. ‘Midori’ and ‘Bourgogne’ together formed a cluster whereas the remaining 21 cultivars grouped into two clusters and were closely related to each other. Clusters did not relate to cultivar provenance or origin and were independent of floral colour and spathe category. Finding correlations between these morphological traits to RAPD markers would necessitate extensive primer screening. Nevertheless, RAPD markers fingerprinting allowed a rapid assessment of the level of genetic variation that would otherwise be difficult to evaluate using the limited number of morphological markers present among these closely related anthurium cultivars.

Genetic differentiation of Calypogeia fissa Raddi (Hepaticae, Jungermanniales) in Poland

The genetic structure of 24 populations of the Calypogeia fissa complex from Poland and Germany has been studied. Fifteen putative loci in eight enzyme systems were resolved. Ten of these loci were polymorphic. The inter-population variation of the examined populations of C. fissa was partitioned into three distinct groups, tentatively called group PS, PB and G. Groups PS and PB occur in Poland, group G in Germany. Fixed alleles were diagnostic of each of the three groups. Obtained values of genetic distances showed a high level of genetic distance (0.664–0.796) between populations from Germany and those of the Polish group PS. A UPGMA dendrogram based on Nei’s genetic distance coefficient was constructed; it showed differentiation of the studied populations in two distinct groups, one consisting of group PS from Poland, the second of plants from Germany and the Polish group PB. Studies of oil bodies in C. fissa showed, as in other Calypogeia species, their high correlation with the isoenzyme phenotypes.

Genetic relationships among perennial and annual Cicer species growing in Turkey as revealed by allozymes

Allozyme polymorphisms were used to assess genetic variation and relationships among ten Cicer species (annuals and perennials) growing in Turkey. Using seven enzyme systems, 12 putative scorable loci were detected and surveyed for polymorphism in an accession collection including wild and cultivated forms. Variation was generally low within accessions and species, but common between species. Cluster analysis based on the pairwise genetic distance coefficients among accessions and species using UPGMA revealed two species clusters; one includes three perennials (C. montbretii, C. isauricum and C. anatolicum) and the other contains six annuals (C. pinnatifidum, C. bijugum, C. judaicum, C. echinospermum, C. reticulatum and C. arietinum) and one perennial species (C.incisum). Grouping obtained in allozyme analysis appears to be consistent with the classification these species into three sections. However, contrary to relationships obtained in previous studies, three perennial species from section Polycicer were relatively distant to the group containing annuals. One perennial species, C. incisum from section Chamaecicer, clustered with annuals showing a close similarity. The grouping of six annual species was consistent with the previous reports of relationships. The relationships deduced between perennials and annuals appear to shed light on the evolution of annual habit from perennial habit.

Relationships between Coefficient of Parentage and Genetic Distance Based on DNA Polymorphism in Barley Cultivars

Relationships between Coefficient of Parentage and Genetic Distance Based on DNA Polymorphism in Barley Cultivars

Development and Utilization of SSRs to Estimate the Degree of Genetic Relationships in a Collection of Pearl Millet Germplasm

Pearl millet [Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br.] cultivars derive from a narrow gene pool, and studies of genetic diversity in Pennisetum germplasm suggest promising opportunities for the use of undomesticated materials for improving pearl millet varieties. However, efficient utilization of wild germplasm will require effective DNA marker‐based fingerprinting strategies for rapid assessment of genetic relationships. The present study aims at development and utilization of a collection of microsatellite (SSR, simple sequence repeat) markers for assessing the genetic diversity of 53 lines of millet. A small insert genomic library was screened with a (CT)15 oligonucleotide probe. A total of 34 (CT)n–containing clones were identified, and specific primers were designed for 18 of these. Of 18 new microsatellites developed as a part of this work, 11 were used to estimate the genetic diversity, along with 19 from other sources. Cluster analysis by the unweighted pair‐group method with arithmetic averages (UPGMA) showed two major and eight minor clusters, suggesting that the millet germplasm could readily be distinguished by UPGMA. The coefficients of genetic distance among germplasm lines were high and averaged D = 0.60 (range 0.28–0.92). Genetic diversity averaged 0.38. These results demonstrated that genotypes with potential traits are maximally different from the cultivated gene pool and could readily be distinguished. Development and utilization of polymerase‐chain‐reaction‐(PCR)‐based markers such as SSRs is a valuable asset for estimating genetic diversity, the identification of unique genotypes as potentially important new sources of alleles for enhancing important characteristics, and analyzing the evolutionary and historical development of cultivars at the genomic level in pearl millet breeding programs.

Molecular characterization of Buffalograss germplasm using sequence-related amplified polymorphism markers.

Buffalograss [ Buchloe dactyloides (Nutt.) Englem] germplasm has a broad resource of genetic diversity that can be used for turfgrass, forage and conservation. Buffalograss is the only native grass that is presently used as a turfgrass in the Great Plains region of North America. Its low growth habit, drought tolerance and reduced requirement for fertilizer and pesticides contribute to interest in its use. The objectives of this study were to use sequence-related amplified polymorphism (SRAP) markers in the evaluation of genetic diversity and phenetic relationships in a diverse collection of 53 buffalograss germplasms, and to identify buffalograss ploidy levels using flow cytometry. Based on their DNA contents, buffalograss genotypes were grouped into four sets, corresponding to their ploidy levels. Thirty-four SRAP primer combinations were used. This is the first report of the detection of differentiating diploid, tetraploid, pentaploid and hexaploid buffalograss genotypes, representing diverse locations of origin, using SRAP markers. Cluster analysis by the unweighted pair-group method with arithmetic averages based on genetic similarity matrices indicated that there were eight clusters. The coefficients of genetic distance among the genotypes ranged from 0.33 up to 0.99 and averaged D=0.66. The genetic diversity estimate, He, averaged 0.35. These results demonstrated that genotypes with potential traits for turfgrass improvement could readily be distinguished, based on SRAP. The use of PCR-based technologies such as SRAP is an effective tool for estimating genetic diversity, identifying unique genotypes as new sources of alleles for enhancing turf characteristics, and for analyzing the evolutionary and historical development of cultivars at the genomic level in a buffalograss breeding program.