Resumo O Vale do Ribeira é uma área que ocupa cerca de 10% da região sul do estado de São Paulo e abriga pelo menos 25 comunidades remanescentes de quilombos. Dessas, 13 já foram oficialmente reconhecidas ou estão em fase de reconhecimento. Com o objetivo de contribuir para o conhecimento da estrutura populacional e da história da formação desses remanescentes de quilombos, estudamos os indivíduos do sexo masculino de seis comunidades: Abobral Margem Esquerda (48), Galvão (22), São Pedro (22), Pedro Cubas (60), Pilões (15) e Maria Rosa (9), além de uma amostra de 81 homens da cidade de São Paulo, em relação a quatro locos polimórficos do cromossomo Y: dois microssatélites (DYS19 e DYS390), um SNP (DYS199) e uma inserção de Alu (DYS287). Os genótipos foram identificados por meio da amplificação do DNA pela reação em cadeia da polimerase (PCR), seguida de eletroforese em gel de poliacrilamida. Um quinto marcador foi estudado, um SNP (M168), apenas em alguns indivíduos selecionados. Nesse caso os genótipos foram identificados por seqüenciamento direto do DNA. As freqüências alélicas no DYS19 e DYS390 indicaram que nas populações por nós estudadas há uma importante contribuição patrilinear portuguesa. O SNP DYS199, por possuir um alelo-específico de ameríndios, o alelo T, indicou uma baixa contribuição patrilinear ameríndia entre as comunidades de quilombo. Essa contribuição foi detectada somente na população de Pedro Cubas. A inserção de Alu YAP (DYS287), por ser muito freqüente entre africanos, é um bom indicador de contribuição paterna africana. No entanto, nem todos os africanos a possuem. Por essa razão o marcador M168 veio completar a informação em relação à origem africana do cromossomo Y. Esses marcadores moleculares indicaram uma contribuição masculina provavelmente africana nos quilombos, em freqüências que variaram de 11 a 55%. Somente em Pedro Cubas, a freqüência de cromossomos Y de origem africana superou a freqüência de cromossomos Y de origem européia. Em Abobral, a freqüência de cromossomo Y provavelmente africano chegou a aproximadamente 40%, revelando serem essas duas populações as mais africanas do ponto de vista do cromossomo Y. O total das populações de quilombo apresentou índice de diversidade genética haplotípica equivalente ao da amostra de São Paulo, provavelmente devido à diversidade das populações africanas que as constituíram ou à mistura com populações de outros grupos étnicos. Entre as comunidades de quilombo, Galvão foi a que apresentou menor índice de diversidade, indicando que nessa comunidade o efeito do fundador foi o mais notável. O haplótipo mais freqüentemente observado em Galvão tem provável origem européia. Quando observamos o dendrograma que reúne as populações quilombolas, a população de São Paulo e outras populações da literatura, os quilombos de Galvão, São Pedro e Abobral mostraram-se mais próximos das populações africanas do que das demais populações da literatura. Dentre os remanescentes de quilombos, Pedro Cubas é a única com afinidade com os ameríndios. Pilões e Maria Rosa ficaram mais próximas de São Paulo, bem como de brasileiros brancos e portugueses, indicando maior contribuição européia. / Abstract At least 25 quilombos remnants are supposed to exist in the Vale do Ribeira region, located in the southern part of São Paulo State. Thirteen of those quilombo remnants have already been identified and officially recognized. In order to understand the structure and history of the foundation of these quilombo remnants, we studied male individuals belonging to six populations: Abobral Left Margin (48 individuals), Galvão (22), São Pedro (22), Pedro Cubas (60), Pilões (15) and Maria Rosa (9), in addition to 81 individuals sampled from the city of São Paulo, for four Y chromosome polymorphic loci: two microsatellite loci (DYS19 and DYS390), one SNP (DYS199) and one Alu insertion (YAP). The genotypes were identified by DNA amplification by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) followed by acrylamide gel electrophoresis. A fifth locus was also analysed, by a different SNP (M168), but only in a few individuals. In this analysis DNA direct sequencing was employed. The allelic frequencies in the locus DYS19 indicated significant male Portuguese contribution in the quilombos. The Amerindian specific allele (T) of the DYS199 locus indicated little or no contribution from Amerindian males, except the population of Pedro Cubas. The Alu insertion (YAP or DYS287), frequent in Africans, is a good indicator of African ancestry, although not all Africans show it. Thus, the analysis of the M168 locus helped to determine the origin of Y chromosomes. These markers indicated a range from 11 to 55% of probable African contribution in the quilombos. Only in Pedro Cubas the frequency of African Y chromosomes was higher than the one European Y chromosomes. In Abobral, the frequency of African Y chromosomes was approximately 40%, being the most African of the quilombo populations, when Y chromosomes are considered. The total haplotype diversity in the quilombos was similar to the one observed for the sample from São Paulo, probably due to the diversity of African populatons that originated the quilombos, or the admixture with other ethnic groups. Galvão showed the lowest diversity, indicating that this population was the most influenced by founder effects. In the neighbor-joining tree built with allelic frequencies obtained in the quilombos, São Paulo and other populations previously reported, the quilombos of Galvão, São Pedro and Abobral were closer to the African populations and Pedro Cubas is the only one close to Amerindians. Pilões and Maria Rosa were closer to São Paulo, white Brazilians and Portuguese populations, indicating European contribution.

North Atlantic and South Atlantic swordfish (Xiphias gladius L.) are currently managed as two stocks separated at 5°N. While previous studies of genetic population structure using both mitochondrial and nuclear DNA confirm two genetically distinct stocks, sampling coverage has not been uniform or representative of all areas and estimates of admixture in areas of contact have not been provided. In this study, we examined: 1) the applicability of high-resolution melting analysis (HRMA) in population genetic studies of non-model organisms, 2) the use of nuclear markers in Atlantic swordfish and the methodology whereby nuclear gene variation can be quickly screened, identified, and genotyped using short-amplicon (SA) HRMA and unlabeled probe (UP) HRMA, and 3) the use of HRMA to characterize nuclear markers to study the genetic population structure of Atlantic swordfish using representative samples of the entire basin to provide an estimation of population admixture by means of Bayesian individual assignment. High resolution melting analysis (HRMA) is shown to be a highly sensitive, rapid, closed-tube genotyping method amenable to high throughput and, though until recently primarily confined to clinical studies, suitable for population studies in non-model species. Ten nuclear markers were genotyped primarily by SA- and UP-HRMA in North Atlantic (n=419), South Atlantic (n=296), and Mediterranean (n=59) swordfish. Comparisons of pairwise FST, AMOVA, PCoA, and Bayesian individual assignments were congruent with previous finding of three discrete populations with comparatively low levels of estimated gene flow for a marine organism (FST = 0.039-0.126). Population admixture was identified and estimated in the Northeast Atlantic and appeared to be asymmetrical, with swordfish from the South Atlantic found among North Atlantic localities but no North Atlantic migrants identified in the South Atlantic. The Mediterranean boundary currently at the Strait of Gibraltar is found to extend west into Atlantic waters to approximately 8°W. Similarly, the boundary between North and South Atlantic swordfish should be revised to a line that extends north from 0°N 45°W to 25°N 45°W and from that position, as a nearly horizontal line, eastwards to the African coast. Finally, I show that Bayesian individual assignment using the developed marker set can be used for mixed stock allocation in the Northeast Atlantic.

The cotton fleahopper, Pseudatomoscelis seriatus (Reuter) is a widely distributed insect across the United States. Although, it feeds on several native wild hosts, its agricultural importance lies as an economic pest of cotton in several states in the southern United States. No studies have addressed intraspecific genetic and phenotypic variation of this insect pest at a large geographic scale. I examined genetic variation among cotton fleahopper populations associated with cotton in different geographic locations across the southern United States (Chapter II). Using dominant, neutral, nuclear molecular markers (AFLP, amplified fragment length polymorphism) and mitochondrial DNA sequences, I found that overall genetic differentiation among different geographic populations, collected from cotton in eleven cotton growing states, was low but significant. AFLP revealed the presence of three regional groups representing western (Arizona), central (Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama), and eastern (Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina) populations. I examined if there were distinct lineages of cotton fleahoppers associated with three of its host plant species: cotton (Gossypium hirsutum), horsemint (Monarda punctata) and woolly croton (Croton capitatus) in five different locations of Texas by using AFLP markers (Chapter III). I found two distinct host-associated lineages at three locations and local panmixia in the other two locations. I tested if host preference of cotton fleahoppers were affected by geographic variation and prior experience. Conducting choice tests with a Y-tube olfactometer, I found that host preference in cotton fleahoppers for horsemint (one of its native host plants) is conserved and unaffected by individual?s prior experience with cotton (Chapter IV). Finally, I explored the role of host-plant species in morphological differentiation of the cotton fleahopper in two locations that differ in presence of distinct host-associated lineages. Using a geometric-morphometric approach, I detected significant effect of host plant and geography on body morphology and wing shape of cotton fleahopper populations (Chapter V). Length of antenna and rostrum were two important traits associated with morphological divergence of cotton and horsemint associated insect populations. Cotton associated individuals had relatively longer antenna and rostrum compared to individuals associated with horsemint.

Submitted by Renata de Oliveira Rodrigues null (reor25@hotmail.com) on 2018-04-19T17:14:08Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Tese Renata de O Rodrigues.pdf: 1121593 bytes, checksum: f2f5c6c094386aad0d3588ad17d9d37b (MD5) / Rejected by Luciana Pizzani null (luciana@btu.unesp.br), reason: Solicitamos que realize uma nova submissão seguindo as orientações abaixo: problema 1: linhas numeradas Retirar a numeração das linhas que aparece no lado esquerdo da tese. Assim que tiver efetuado a correção submeta o arquivo em PDF novamente. Agradecemos a compreensão. on 2018-04-19T17:44:14Z (GMT) / Submitted by Renata de Oliveira Rodrigues null (reor25@hotmail.com) on 2018-04-19T18:00:29Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Tese Renata de O Rodrigues repositorio.pdf: 717298 bytes, checksum: fb6ce910e2160cddb712cc0981ad996e (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Luciana Pizzani null (luciana@btu.unesp.br) on 2018-04-19T18:14:30Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 rodrigues_ro_dr_bot.pdf: 717298 bytes, checksum: fb6ce910e2160cddb712cc0981ad996e (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-04-19T18:14:30Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 rodrigues_ro_dr_bot.pdf: 717298 bytes, checksum: fb6ce910e2160cddb712cc0981ad996e (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-02-22 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / M. burgersi e M. mordax são espécies-irmãs, isto é, espécies muito similares morfologicamente ou quase indistinguíveis, mas que possuem características biológicas específicas e não se intercruzam. Apesar de serem bastante próximas, as duas espécies apresentam diferentes graus de tolerância em manguezais. M. burgersi é frequentemente encontrada em áreas abertas de manguezais próximas a boca do estuário, onde existe uma maior influência da água marinha, enquanto M. mordax é frequentemente encontrada em areas com maior cobertura vegetal próximo à montante, onde a água doce possui maior influência. Resultados de análises genéticas obtidos em um projeto Capes/DAAD de cooperação internacional (PROBRAL #D/08/11624 – Programa de Cooperação entre Brasil e Alemanha) mostraram que populações de M. mordax da Costa Rica, Pará e São Paulo são geneticamente muito diferentes, enquanto as populações de M. mordax e M. burgersi encontradas no litoral de São Paulo são bastante semelhantes, tanto em aspectos genéticos quanto nos morfológicos. A partir desses resultados, os autores sugeriram um possível erro de identificação entre essas espécies, sendo as espécies de M. mordax do litoral de São Paulo prováveis morfotipos de M. burgersi. Com isso, o presente estudo, que integra um projeto sequência (PROBRAL #391/13), teve por objetivo avaliar os aspectos filogenéticos, comportamentais e ecológicos de Minuca burgersi e Minuca mordax. A tese foi dividida em três capítulos. O primeiro capítulo teve por objetivo apresentar a filogenia das espécies irmãs. O comportamento reprodutivo dos machos (aceno), que em muitas espécies é ultizado para identificação interespecífica, foi alvo do estudo no segundo capítulo. O terceiro e último capítulo abordou aspectos ecológicos das duas espécies, comparando a tolerância térmica das duas espécies, assim como observações em capo do comportamento de acordo com a temperatura. / M. burgersi and M. mordax are exemples of sibling species, as they are almost indistinguishable or very similar, but they have specific biological traits and interbreeding do not occurs. Although they are closely related, these two species show different environment tolerances. M. burgersi is often found in mangrove open areas close to the estuary mouth, where there is a high influence of salt water, while M. mordax is often found in vegetated areas close to upstream, where there is a high influence of fresh water. A previous project Capes/DAAD (PROBRAL #D/08/11624 – Cooperation program between Brazil and Germany) showed high genetic distance between M. mordax populations from Costa Rica, Pará and São Paulo, the last two located in Brazil, whilst São Paulo populations of M. mordax and M. burgersi were genetically similar. Then, authors suggested a possible misidentification between these species, in which M. mordax populations from São Paulo could be a morphotype of M. burgersi. Thereby, the goal of the present work, which is part of another project PROBRAL (#391/13), is to evaluate genetic, behavioral and ecological traits of Minuca burgersi and Minuca mordax. The thesis was divided in three chapters: the first one presents a study of genetic populations, considering Brazilian and Costa Rica populations; the second presents a behavior study, which are represented by male waving behavior, an important trait to identify species; and the last chapter presents a ecological study, which was a comparison of thermal tolerance between species, as well as fiel observations about crabs behavior according to environment temperature. / Capes: 1491495 / Capes/DAAD: 15059/13-8

Orientador: Tânia Marcia Costa / Resumo: M. burgersi e M. mordax são espécies-irmãs, isto é, espécies muito similares morfologicamente ou quase indistinguíveis, mas que possuem características biológicas específicas e não se intercruzam. Apesar de serem bastante próximas, as duas espécies apresentam diferentes graus de tolerância em manguezais. M. burgersi é frequentemente encontrada em áreas abertas de manguezais próximas a boca do estuário, onde existe uma maior influência da água marinha, enquanto M. mordax é frequentemente encontrada em areas com maior cobertura vegetal próximo à montante, onde a água doce possui maior influência. Resultados de análises genéticas obtidos em um projeto Capes/DAAD de cooperação internacional (PROBRAL #D/08/11624 – Programa de Cooperação entre Brasil e Alemanha) mostraram que populações de M. mordax da Costa Rica, Pará e São Paulo são geneticamente muito diferentes, enquanto as populações de M. mordax e M. burgersi encontradas no litoral de São Paulo são bastante semelhantes, tanto em aspectos genéticos quanto nos morfológicos. A partir desses resultados, os autores sugeriram um possível erro de identificação entre essas espécies, sendo as espécies de M. mordax do litoral de São Paulo prováveis morfotipos de M. burgersi. Com isso, o presente estudo, que integra um projeto sequência (PROBRAL #391/13), teve por objetivo avaliar os aspectos filogenéticos, comportamentais e ecológicos de Minuca burgersi e Minuca mordax. A tese foi dividida em três capítulos. O primeiro capítulo teve po... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: M. burgersi and M. mordax are exemples of sibling species, as they are almost indistinguishable or very similar, but they have specific biological traits and interbreeding do not occurs. Although they are closely related, these two species show different environment tolerances. M. burgersi is often found in mangrove open areas close to the estuary mouth, where there is a high influence of salt water, while M. mordax is often found in vegetated areas close to upstream, where there is a high influence of fresh water. A previous project Capes/DAAD (PROBRAL #D/08/11624 – Cooperation program between Brazil and Germany) showed high genetic distance between M. mordax populations from Costa Rica, Pará and São Paulo, the last two located in Brazil, whilst São Paulo populations of M. mordax and M. burgersi were genetically similar. Then, authors suggested a possible misidentification between these species, in which M. mordax populations from São Paulo could be a morphotype of M. burgersi. Thereby, the goal of the present work, which is part of another project PROBRAL (#391/13), is to evaluate genetic, behavioral and ecological traits of Minuca burgersi and Minuca mordax. The thesis was divided in three chapters: the first one presents a study of genetic populations, considering Brazilian and Costa Rica populations; the second presents a behavior study, which are represented by male waving behavior, an important trait to identify species; and the last chapter presents a ecological study... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Doutor

Eurasian Reed Warbler (Acrocephalus scirpaceus) is a long-distance migrant wintering in sub-Saharan Africa and breeding in reedbeds of the Western Palaearctic. European populations migrate in two main directions (SW and SE). Though there is little morphological variation across the breeding range, Asian populations are traditionally separated from the nominate subspecies as the subspecies fuscus. My aim was to explore genetic differentiation among Eurasian Reed Warbler populations in respect to the factors which may have influenced the genetic diversity and divergence of the populations, such as a migratory divide, high migratory connectivity or isolation by distance. I used samples of 495 individuals from 36 populations across the breeding range using microsatellites. Pairwaise fixation indexes FST showed significant differences among populations from the Iberian peninsula, Finland and the Middle East and the rest of populations. Exact tests of differentiation did not confirm non-random distribution between pairs of populations. Overall FST was statistical significant but very small (FST = 0,018). Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) revealed that 98% of variation was ascribable to variability of allele frequencies within populations. On the other hand, differences between populations contributed to overall variation with only 2%. Isolation by distance showed only weak relationship between geographical and genetic distances. Main analysis using Bayesian clustering approach implemented in software Structure 2.2. detected no genetic structure of population. Sampled Eurasian Reed Warbler populations seem to form one genetic population. Relatively low genetic diversification indicates large dispersal potential of the studied Reed Warbler populations, when gene flow successfully counters differentiation of population irrespective of large breeding area and high migrate connectivity between breeding and wintering area.

The dusky shark, Carcharinus obscurus, is a globally distributed, coastal-pelagic species subject to an apparent high level of exploitation. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists this species as “Vulnerable” globally, and “Endangered” within western North Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico waters due to an over 80% decline in this region, with no evidence of population recovery. The extensive exploitation of dusky sharks may partly be attributed to the high market value of its fins, but the contribution of individual dusky shark stocks to the fin markets is unknown. This knowledge would be helpful to detect if specific stocks are experiencing disproportionate levels of exploitation. Due to its susceptibility to overfishing, current dire conservation status and need for additional information on its population dynamics, we analyzed the genetic population structure and genetic diversity of the dusky shark (n = 415) across 8 globally distributed locations utilizing 10 nuclear microsatellite loci. The nuclear marker analyses support and extend previously published mitochondrial marker work, identifying a strong divergence among Atlantic and Indo-Pacific samples. Furthermore, nuclear marker results indicate the presence of six genetically discrete management units for dusky sharks, with significant genetic differentiation between the western North Atlantic, South African, and each of three Australian site collections (N, E and W coasts). Discovery of these nuclear microsatellite-defined, smaller geographic scale management units provides a basis for the assignment of market-derived fins to their population of origin with the use of genetic assignment techniques.

Resumo O Vale do Ribeira é uma área que ocupa cerca de 10% da região sul do estado de São Paulo e abriga pelo menos 25 comunidades remanescentes de quilombos. Dessas, 13 já foram oficialmente reconhecidas ou estão em fase de reconhecimento. Com o objetivo de contribuir para o conhecimento da estrutura populacional e da história da formação desses remanescentes de quilombos, estudamos os indivíduos do sexo masculino de seis comunidades: Abobral Margem Esquerda (48), Galvão (22), São Pedro (22), Pedro Cubas (60), Pilões (15) e Maria Rosa (9), além de uma amostra de 81 homens da cidade de São Paulo, em relação a quatro locos polimórficos do cromossomo Y: dois microssatélites (DYS19 e DYS390), um SNP (DYS199) e uma inserção de Alu (DYS287). Os genótipos foram identificados por meio da amplificação do DNA pela reação em cadeia da polimerase (PCR), seguida de eletroforese em gel de poliacrilamida. Um quinto marcador foi estudado, um SNP (M168), apenas em alguns indivíduos selecionados. Nesse caso os genótipos foram identificados por seqüenciamento direto do DNA. As freqüências alélicas no DYS19 e DYS390 indicaram que nas populações por nós estudadas há uma importante contribuição patrilinear portuguesa. O SNP DYS199, por possuir um alelo-específico de ameríndios, o alelo T, indicou uma baixa contribuição patrilinear ameríndia entre as comunidades de quilombo. Essa contribuição foi detectada somente na população de Pedro Cubas. A inserção de Alu YAP (DYS287), por ser muito freqüente entre africanos, é um bom indicador de contribuição paterna africana. No entanto, nem todos os africanos a possuem. Por essa razão o marcador M168 veio completar a informação em relação à origem africana do cromossomo Y. Esses marcadores moleculares indicaram uma contribuição masculina provavelmente africana nos quilombos, em freqüências que variaram de 11 a 55%. Somente em Pedro Cubas, a freqüência de cromossomos Y de origem africana superou a freqüência de cromossomos Y de origem européia. Em Abobral, a freqüência de cromossomo Y provavelmente africano chegou a aproximadamente 40%, revelando serem essas duas populações as mais africanas do ponto de vista do cromossomo Y. O total das populações de quilombo apresentou índice de diversidade genética haplotípica equivalente ao da amostra de São Paulo, provavelmente devido à diversidade das populações africanas que as constituíram ou à mistura com populações de outros grupos étnicos. Entre as comunidades de quilombo, Galvão foi a que apresentou menor índice de diversidade, indicando que nessa comunidade o efeito do fundador foi o mais notável. O haplótipo mais freqüentemente observado em Galvão tem provável origem européia. Quando observamos o dendrograma que reúne as populações quilombolas, a população de São Paulo e outras populações da literatura, os quilombos de Galvão, São Pedro e Abobral mostraram-se mais próximos das populações africanas do que das demais populações da literatura. Dentre os remanescentes de quilombos, Pedro Cubas é a única com afinidade com os ameríndios. Pilões e Maria Rosa ficaram mais próximas de São Paulo, bem como de brasileiros brancos e portugueses, indicando maior contribuição européia. / Abstract At least 25 quilombos remnants are supposed to exist in the Vale do Ribeira region, located in the southern part of São Paulo State. Thirteen of those quilombo remnants have already been identified and officially recognized. In order to understand the structure and history of the foundation of these quilombo remnants, we studied male individuals belonging to six populations: Abobral Left Margin (48 individuals), Galvão (22), São Pedro (22), Pedro Cubas (60), Pilões (15) and Maria Rosa (9), in addition to 81 individuals sampled from the city of São Paulo, for four Y chromosome polymorphic loci: two microsatellite loci (DYS19 and DYS390), one SNP (DYS199) and one Alu insertion (YAP). The genotypes were identified by DNA amplification by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) followed by acrylamide gel electrophoresis. A fifth locus was also analysed, by a different SNP (M168), but only in a few individuals. In this analysis DNA direct sequencing was employed. The allelic frequencies in the locus DYS19 indicated significant male Portuguese contribution in the quilombos. The Amerindian specific allele (T) of the DYS199 locus indicated little or no contribution from Amerindian males, except the population of Pedro Cubas. The Alu insertion (YAP or DYS287), frequent in Africans, is a good indicator of African ancestry, although not all Africans show it. Thus, the analysis of the M168 locus helped to determine the origin of Y chromosomes. These markers indicated a range from 11 to 55% of probable African contribution in the quilombos. Only in Pedro Cubas the frequency of African Y chromosomes was higher than the one European Y chromosomes. In Abobral, the frequency of African Y chromosomes was approximately 40%, being the most African of the quilombo populations, when Y chromosomes are considered. The total haplotype diversity in the quilombos was similar to the one observed for the sample from São Paulo, probably due to the diversity of African populatons that originated the quilombos, or the admixture with other ethnic groups. Galvão showed the lowest diversity, indicating that this population was the most influenced by founder effects. In the neighbor-joining tree built with allelic frequencies obtained in the quilombos, São Paulo and other populations previously reported, the quilombos of Galvão, São Pedro and Abobral were closer to the African populations and Pedro Cubas is the only one close to Amerindians. Pilões and Maria Rosa were closer to São Paulo, white Brazilians and Portuguese populations, indicating European contribution.

Discerning the extent and patterns of genetic connectivity and understanding population demographic processes is essential for framing proper management and conservation measures for species of concern. Although genetic connectivity may be influenced by numerous biotic and abiotic factors, habitat utilization and dispersal potential are often key factors driving connectivity, especially in marine fishes. While dispersal potential is of key importance with respect to shaping connectivity, other extrinsic (e.g., oceanographic processes) and intrinsic (e.g., reproductive behavior) factors may also influence connectivity; however, the relative influence of such factors is immensely variable across species and life-stages. This dissertation explores genetic connectivity and demographic history in marine fishes with diverse dispersal potentials to determine which processes, in addition to the known dispersal potential of the species, may be shaping connectivity. Genetic connectivity and demographic history is assessed for four marine fishes: two shark species with juxtaposing dispersal potentials, the highly migratory tiger shark (Galeocerdo cuvier) and the reef associated Caribbean reef shark (Carcharhinus perezi), which possess high and low dispersal potentials, respectively, and two teleost species, the pelagic roundscale spearfish (Tetrapturus georgii) and the Nassau grouper (Epinephelus striatus), which possess high and low adult dispersal potentials, respectively. This work demonstrates that dispersal potential does, in fact, play a key role in delineating genetic structure for these species; however, other factors, such as contemporary oceanographic currents (e.g., upwelling and temperature), habitat availability (e.g., coral cover), and historical events, such as cyclical glacial cycles, also influence genetic connectivity across variable spatial scales, thereby creating complex patterns of genetic population structure, requiring composite management strategies to ensure the persistence of these species.

Submitted by Silvana Teresinha Dornelles Studzinski (sstudzinski) on 2015-11-30T11:09:24Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Jaqueline Brummelhaus_.pdf: 909672 bytes, checksum: a67cf8e4fb697cea521fe93f204b4187 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2015-11-30T11:09:24Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Jaqueline Brummelhaus_.pdf: 909672 bytes, checksum: a67cf8e4fb697cea521fe93f204b4187 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013-11-21 / UNISINOS - Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos / O pinguim-antártico (Pygoscelis antarcticus) tem suas populações distribuídas principalmente nas Ilhas Sandwich do Sul, Georgia do Sul e Shetlands do Sul e na região da Península Antártica. Algumas de suas características são o baixo dimorfismo sexual, a monogamia e o comportamento filopátrico. Esta tese tem como objetivos: 1) quantificar o dimorfismo sexual através de medidas morfológicas, testar uma função discriminante e avaliar o dimorfismo sexual entre duas áreas de reprodução distantes (Ilhas Rei George e Elefante, Shetlands do Sul); 2) caracterizar a distribuição espacial da variabilidade genética populacional entre colônias de reprodução nas Ilhas Rei George e Elefante, através de marcador mitocondrial. Na avaliação do dimorfismo sexual de tamanho, através de caracteres morfológicos, foi encontrado que machos são 6 a 9,4% maiores que as fêmeas e a equação discriminante formulada classifica corretamente 80,6% das aves. Não foi encontrada diferença no dimorfismo sexual entre as colônias de reprodução das Ilhas Rei George e Elefante. Mesmo sendo uma alternativa na determinação sexual, as equações discriminantes devem ser usadas com cautela em locais diferentes do que foram produzidas por causa dos erros de classificação. Quando equações discriminantes das Ilhas Deception e Rei George foram testadas para os dados da Ilha Elefante, obteve-se apenas 67,7% e 71% de acerto. Desta forma, a abordagem molecular é uma opção eficiente na resolução de dúvidas relacionadas à sexagem. Quanto à variabilidade genética com uso de marcador mitocondrial, foram encontrados 38 haplótipos para 61 indivíduos analisados, sendo apenas dois compartilhados nas colônias e todos os demais são exclusivos. Os valores de FST e da AMOVA revelam que a divergência entre as populações é baixa e que a maioria da variação genética (98,3%) ocorreu dentro das populações. Isso poderia ser justificado por um alto fluxo gênico entre as populações, mas não corrobora com o comportamento filopátrico da espécie. Os testes de neutralidade e de expansão demográfica apontam para uma evolução neutra e possibilidade de expansão, que ocorreu há mais de dois milhões de anos atrás e no último um milhão de anos o tamanho efetivo populacional manteve-se constante. Os resultados ressaltam a ocorrência de uma expansão populacional a partir de uma população geneticamente homogênea e a manutenção do tamanho efetivo em longa escala de tempo pode ter amplamente contribuído para a falta de estruturação genética entre as colônias recentes de pinguim-antártico. / Chinstrap penguin (Pygoscelis antarcticus) has their populations distributed mainly in South Sandwich, South Georgia and South Shetlands Islands, and the Antarctic Peninsula. This specie presents low sexual dimorphism, monogamy and philopatric behavior. This thesis aims to: 1) to evaluate sexual dimorphism among males and females and among two breeding areas (King George and Elephant Islands) using morphological characters and to obtain a discriminant function based on the characters that best identify the sex of Chinstrap penguins; 2) to determine the spatial structuring of population genetic variation among breeding colonies at King George and Elephant Islands, using mitochondrial control region. In the assessment of sexual dimorphism using morphological characters, were found that males were 6 to 9.4% larger than females and discriminant equation formulated correctly classifies 80.6% of the birds. There was no difference in sexual dimorphism between the breeding colonies of King George and Elephant Islands. However, the discriminant function should be used with caution in different locations than are produced because penguins may be misclassified. When discriminant equations from Deception and King George Islands were tested for Elephant Island data, we obtained only 67.7% and 71% accuracy. Where there is doubt in the field, it would be interesting to apply molecular sexing technique. For genetic variability using mitochondrial control region, were found 38 haplotypes for 61 individuals analyzed, only two were shared in the colonies and all others are exclusive. FST and AMOVA values revealed that the divergence between populations is low and that most of genetic variation (98.3%) occurred within populations. This could be explained by a high gene flow among populations, but does not corroborate with the philopatric behavior of this specie. The neutrality tests and Mismatch distribution point to a neutral evolution and possibility of expansion, which occurred more 2 Mya and the last 1 Mya, the effective population size remained constant. The results show the occurrence of a population expansion from a genetically homogeneous population and maintenance of effective size in long time scale can have widely contributed to the lack of genetic structuring among the current colonies of Chinstrap penguin.