Anadenanthera é um gênero botânico pertencente à família Mimosaceae e endêmico da América Latina e Caribe. Compreende duas espécies arbóreas tropicais: Anadenanthera colubrina (Vell.) Brenan. (angico, angico vermelho, angico branco, curupay) e Anadenanthera peregrina (L.) Speg. (angico, angico preto, angico de casca, angico do cerrado, yopo ou cohoba). As duas espécies são de ocorrência frequente na paisagem da região de Ribeirão Preto, apresentando-se em aglomerados quase monoespecíficos popularmente conhecidos como angicais. Visando contribuir para futuras medidas conservacionistas, o objetivo deste trabalho foi investigar a diversidade genética, o sistema de reprodução, a estrutura genética espacial e o fluxo gênico contemporâneo de A. colubrina e A. peregrina em angicais da Região de Ribeirão Preto SP usando como ferramenta de análise um conjunto de marcadores moleculares microssatélites (SSR). Para isso, foram construídas duas bibliotecas enriquecidas para microssatélites usando a espécie A. colubrina que resultaram em 20 marcadores SSR testados para a espécie e subsequentemente transferidos para A. peregrina. Desses 20 marcadores, 14 foram polimórficos em cada uma das espécies. Através dessa ferramenta molecular, foi possível realizar os estudos de diversidade genética, endogamia e distribuição genética espacial em A. colubrina e A. peregrina na região de Ribeirão Preto, que acusaram de uma maneira geral, muitas semelhanças entre as duas espécies, bem como entre os angicais de uma mesma espécie. A diferença mais marcante encontrada entre elas foi com relação a estrutura genética espacial, pois todos os angicais de A. colubrina apresentaram forte estruturação, enquanto que os de A. peregrina demonstraram ter uma dispersão aleatória dos indivíduos. O sistema reprodutivo e o fluxo de pólen nas duas espécies foi acessado usando sete marcadores moleculares microssatélites. Para essas análises foram genotipados indivíduos juvenis e adultos (totalizando 352 de A. colubrina e 355 de A. peregrina) presentes nos angicais Acol/PB, Aper/SP255 e Aper/Faz. Através das análises constatou-se que ambas as espécies tem sistema de acasalamento misto, embora A. colubrina tenha apresentado uma proporção maior de autofecundação (tm Acol = 0,619; tm Aper= 0,905). Também foram encontrados elevados índices de cruzamento entre parentes (tm-ts Acol = 0,159; tm-ts Aper = 0,216) e parentesco (coancestria), o que resultou num baixo tamanho efetivo populacional para ambas as espécies. As estimativas das taxas de cruzamentos multilocos individuais apresentaram grande variação nas duas espécies, mostrando a flexibilidade do sistema reprodutivo no gênero Anadenanthera. O número efetivo de doadores de pólen foi muito baixo para um mesmo fruto (1,10 em A. colubrina e 1,24 em A. peregrina) e mais alto entre frutos de uma mesma árvore (2,61 em A. colubrina e 3,35 em A. peregrina), usando a estimativa indireta de correlação de paternidade. Análises de paternidade revelaram distâncias de dispersão de pólen em duas escalas para ambas as espécies. Dessa forma, ocorreram muitos cruzamentos locais, entre árvores próximas no mesmo angical, mas também foram encontradas grandes distâncias de dispersão de pólen. A média da distância de dispersão em A. colubrina foi de 299,88 m e de 214,369 m em A. peregrina. Alto fluxo de pólen oriundo de árvores externas aos angicais de ambas as espécies foi detectado, indicando que os grupos não são isolados reprodutivamente. Por outro lado, o fluxo gênico crítico foi também muito elevado nas estimativas, provavelmente devido ao baixo poder de exclusão que os locos apresentaram dentro dos angicias de ambas as espécies. / Anadenanthera is a genus of Mimosaceae that is endemic to Latin America and the West Indies and comprises two tropical tree species: Anadenanthera colubrina (Vell.) Brenan. (popularly known as angico, angico vermelho, angico branco or curupay) and Anadenanthera peregrina (L.) Speg. (angico, angico preto, angico de casca, angico do cerrado, yopo or cohoba). Both species are commonly found in the Ribeirão Preto region, usually as nearly monospecific agglomerates known as angicais. To aid future conservationist measures, this work investigated the genetic diversity, gene flow, spatial genetic structure and contemporary mating system of A. colubrina and A. peregrina in the angicais of Ribeirão Preto Region SP by analyzing a sample of simple sequence repeat markers (SSR). Two microsatellites libraries were created from A. colubrina, providing 20 SSR markers that were tested for that species and later applied to A. peregrina. Fourteen out of the 20 markers were polymorphic between the species, allowing an examination of the genetic diversity, endogamy and spatial genetic structure in A. colubrina and A. peregrina in the Ribeirão Preto region, which revealed several similarities between the two species, as well as among the angicais of a single species. The most remarkable difference between the species was related to the spatial genetic structure, as all angicais of A. colubrina presented strong structuration, whereas those of A. peregrina exhibited an aleatory dispersion of individuals. The mating system and pollen flow in both species were analyzed through seven SSR. Adults and juveniles from the angicais Acol/PB, Aper/SP255 and Aper/Faz were genotyped for those analyses (352 specimens of A. colubrina and 355 of A. peregrina), revealing that both species undergo a mixed mating system, although A. colubrina presented a higher percentage of self-mating (tm Acol = 0.619; tm Aper= 0.905). High indices of mating among relatives (tm-ts Acol = 0.159; tm-ts Aper = 0.216) and coancestry were also found, resulting in a low effective population size for both species. A wide range in the estimate of the mutilocus breeding rate was found for both species, reflecting the plasticity of the mating system in the genus Anadenanthera. The effective number of pollen donors was very low for a single fruit (1.10 in A. colubrina and 1.24 in A. peregrina) and higher between fruits from the same tree (2.61 in A. colubrina and 3.35 in A. peregrina), using an indirect estimate of the paternity correlation. Paternity analyses revealed the distance of pollen dispersion on two different scales: many local outcrossings (between close trees from the same angical) in addition to long-distance pollen dispersion. The average dispersion distance was 299.88 m in A. colubrina and 214.369 m in A. peregrina. A high pollen flux from trees outside the angicais of both species was observed, indicating a lack of reproductive isolation. However, the gene flow was also very high, likely due to the low power of exclusion presented by loci from both species inside the angicais.

A espécie Acrocomia aculeata (Jacq.) Lodd. ex Mart. é uma palmeira nativa, popularmente conhecida como macaúba, que possui ampla utilização desde a indústria alimentícia até na produção de biodiesel. Para estudos genéticos, foram coletados e extraído DNA de 50 indivíduos da espécie em três assentamentos no Pontal do Paranapanema-SP (FU, PJ e GB) e em Amparo-SP (AM) toatalizando 200 amostras. Os objetivos do trabalho foram caracterizar a diversidade genética, a estrutura genética espacial (EGE) e o sistema reprodutivo da espécie no Pontal do Paranapanema. A diversidade genética foi caracterizada pelos parâmetros: número de alelos por loco (Â ), heterozigosidades observada (Ĥo) e esperada (Ĥe) e índice de fixação (F^ ). As estatísticas F foram utilizadas como parâmetro de diferenciação genética entre ( F^ ST) e dentro das subpopulações ( F^IS). A EGE foi realizada pela estimativa do coeficiente de coancestria (θ^xy ) entre pares de árvores em relação a posição espacial destas. As populações de macaúba estudadas apresentaram níveis relativamente altos de polimorfismo, pois dos nove locos utilizados obteve-se um total de 103 alelos, sendo que 34 alelos são privados. O Ĥo médio variou de 0,410 a 0,531; O Ĥe médio variou de 0,547 a 0,615. O F apresentou valores positivos e significativos (0,119, 0,173 e 0,276) nas médias de PJ, GB e AM, respectivamente. As estatísticas F mostraram 16,8% de diferenciação entre as populações, ou seja, a maior parte da diversidade genética se encontra dentro das populações. Apenas para a população FU a EGE não foi significativa, na população PJ foi significativa na distância de 810 m (θ^xy =0,0211), porém foi considerado sem significado biológico. Nas outras o θ^xy foi significativo nas distâncias de 38 m (θ^xy = 0,0182 a θ^xy = 0,0418) e 71 (θ^xy =0,0213 a θ^xy =0,0934) para GB e AM, respectivamente, indicando que indivíduos dentro destas distâncias possuem algum grau de parentesco. Os parâmetros para estudar o sistema de reprodução foram calculados pelo MLTR e foram utilizadas 246 progênies (20 mães) da população FU, obtendo os parâmetros t^m =0,97, t^s =0,928, t^m - t^s=0,042, r^s =0,1 e r^p(m) =0,015. O número efetivo de doadores de pólen foi 66,66, a porcentagem de meio-irmãos, irmãos de autofecundação e cruzamento, irmãos completos e irmãos de autofecundação foram 92,7%, 5,8%, 1,4% e 0,09%, respectivamente. O tamanho efetivo foi 3,10, a coancestria foi θ^ =0,134 e o número de matrizes foi m^ =48,29. A macaúba é uma palmeira alógama, não houve correlação significativa de paternidade e o número de matrizes para coleta de sementes deve ser pelo menos 15 sementes de 49 árvores. / Acrocomia aculeata (Jacq.) Lodd. ex Mart. is a native palm, also known as Macaw, which has widespread utilization in the food industry as well as for biodiesel oil production. Samples were collected and DNA was extracted from 50 adult individuals in each of the three rural settlements at Pontal do Paranapanema (FU, PJ and GB) and at Amparo-SP (AM), totaling 200 samples. The study aimed to characterize the genetic diversity, spatial genetic structure (SGS) and the mating system in the Pontal do Parapanema. Genetic diversity was estimated by number of aleles per locus (Â), observed (Ĥo) and expected heterozygozity (Ĥe), fixation index (F^). The F^ statistics were used as genetic differentiation parameter among and within subpopulations. The SGS was studied by coancestry coeficiente (θ^xy ) between pair of trees. The studied populations showed relatively high levels of polymorphism using nine microsatellites loci with a total of 103 alleles, where 34 of these are private. The average of Ĥo and Ĥe ranged from 0.410 to 0.531 and 0.547 to 0.615, respectively. The fixation index (F^) presented positive and significant values in average for PJ (0.119), GB (0.173) and AM (0.276), respectively. The genetic differentiation ( F^ ST) was 16,8%, so most of the diversity is within populations. Only in the FU population the SGS was not significant, was significant up to 810 m (θ^xy=0.0211) for PJ with no ecological meaning. This parameter (θ^xy) was significant at up to 38 m (θ^xy = 0.0182 a θ^xy = 0.0418) and 71 m (θ^xy =0.0213 a θ^xy =0.0934) for GB and AM, respectively, indicating that individuals within these distances are related. The parameters to study the mating system were calculated using MLTR with 246 siblings of open pollination of 20 maternal families trees of the FU population, showing values of t^m=0,97, t^s =0,928, t^m - t^s=0,042, r^s =0,1 e r^p(m) =0,015. The number of effective pollen donors was 66,66, the percentage of the pairwise half sibs self-half-sibs, full sibs and sef sibs were 92,7%, 5,8%, 1,4% and 0,09%, respectively. The effective size was 3,10, the coancestry was θ^ =0,134 and the number of matrices m^ =48,29. The macaw palm is an outcrossing palm, there was no significant correlation of paternity and the collection of seeds should be in at least 15 seeds from more than 49 trees to keep a high genetic diversity.

Charybdis hellerii (A. Milne-Edwards, 1867), espécie de siri nativa do Indo-Oeste Pacífico, dispersou-se para o mar Mediterrâneo com a abertura do canal de Suez. Em 1987, foi registrada pela primeira vez no Atlântico Ocidental, onde populações estabelecidas são reconhecidas dos EUA ao sul do Brasil. Acredita-se que sua introdução no continente americano teria ocorrido por meio de água de lastro de navios provenientes do mar Mediterrâneo. Por meio de análises moleculares utilizando-se três marcadores genéticos (um nuclear, H3, e dois mitocondriais, COI e 16S rDNA), de forma integrada à morfologia comparativa, realizou-se uma investigação do status taxonômico de C. hellerii e dos aspectos relacionados ao seu histórico de introdução. Para este último fim, objetivou-se: (1) o reconhecimento de regiões de origem e rotas de introdução; (2) a detecção ou não de gargalo genético e (3) de introduções múltiplas. A validade de C. hellerii como uma única entidade foi corroborada por alguns resultados: 100% de similaridade no marcador nuclear; monofilia de C. hellerii nos filogramas construídos com diversas espécies de Thalamitinae; divergência genética intraespecífica (COI - 0 a 4,2% e 16S rDNA - 0 a 0,9%) inferior à interespecífica esperada (COI - 6,2 a 21,5% e 16S rDNA - 3,9 a 15,2%) e total similaridade genética entre indivíduos com características morfológicas distintas. Estruturação genética e morfométrica foi detectada nas localidades nativas (+ mar Mediterrâneo), evidenciando dois grupos: Índico oeste + mar Mediterrâneo e Índico leste + Pacífico. A AMOVA para COI mostrou que 38,739% da diversidade encontrada está entre esses dois grupos (ct = 0,38, p = 0,00). A diferenciação genética entre o Índico e o Pacifico é recorrentemente associada a baixas do nível no mar na conexão entre estes oceanos no Pleistoceno. Essa estruturação nas áreas de origem foi fundamental para a detecção de introduções múltiplas na costa americana. A maior parte dos indivíduos da América se agrupou com o Índico oeste + mar Mediterrâneo, suportando o mar Mediterrâneo como a principal origem das populações americanas. No entanto, o agrupamento de espécimes do sul do Brasil com o grupo Índico leste + Pacífico também revelou introduções provenientes dessa região. Um grupo geneticamente distinto detectado na costa americana e geneticamente mais próximo do Índico leste + Pacífico sugere introdução proveniente de uma localidade não amostrada nas áreas de origem. Para ambos os marcadores mitocondriais, os valores de diversidade haplotípica nas áreas exóticas foram comparáveis aos das de origem e a diversidade nucleotídica foi predominantemente superior nas primeiras em relação às segundas. Estes resultados estão possivelmente relacionados à ocorrência de introduções múltiplas de áreas geneticamente distintas. Dos haplótipos de COI detectados no agrupamento Índico oeste + mar Mediterrâneo, apenas dois não foram encontrados nas populações americanas, sugerindo a não ocorrência de um gargalo genético expressivo. Para a introdução proveniente do Índico oeste + Pacífico, gargalo genético significativo possivelmente ocorreu, uma vez que dos 22 haplótipos encontrados nos 40 espécimes do agrupamento Índico leste + Pacífico, apenas três foram encontrados em quatro dos 87 indivíduos amostrados na América. Por fim, análises moleculares e morfológicas demonstraram que Charybdis variegata, espécies congênere recentemente registrada como uma nova espécie exótica na América, consiste na realidade em mais um exemplar de C. hellerii. / Charybdis hellerii (A. Milne-Edwards, 1867), an invasive swimming crab species native to the Indo-West Pacific, dispersed to the Mediterranean Sea via Suez Canal. In 1987, it was first reported to the western Atlantic, where self-maintaining populations are currently found from the USA to southern Brazil. It is suggested that animals were transported to America in their larval stages through ballast water from ships probably loaded at Mediterranean ports. An integrative approach of morphological and molecular analyses using three molecular markers (one nuclear, H3 and two mitochondrial, COI and 16S rDNA) was performed in order to check the taxonomic status of C. hellerii and investigate its introduction history. For the latter purpose, this study aimed: (1) to track potential sources, routes of introduction, (2) assess the occurrence or not of multiple introductions and (3) of genetic bottlenecks. C. hellerii was confirmed as a single entity according to the following results: 100% of similarity for the nuclear marker; monophyly of C. hellerii clade in the phylograms including several species of the subfamily Thalamitinae; intraspecific genetic diversity (COI - 0 to 4.2% and 16S rDNA - 0 to 0.9%) inferior to interspecific value expected for the studied loci (COI - 6.2 to 21.5% and 16S rDNA - 3.9 a 15.2%) and total genetic similarity of individuals with different morphological traits. Genetic and morphometric structure was detected in C. hellerii native range (and the Mediterranean Sea), showing two groups: Western Indian Ocean + Mediterranean Sea and Eastern Indian + Pacific Oceans. The AMOVA results for COI revealed that 38.739% of variation was between both groups (ct = 0.38, p = 0.00). This genetic break between the Pacific and Indian Oceans is constantly associated with sea level fluctuations in the connection between both Oceans during the Pleistocene glaciation events. This genetic structure allowed the detection of independent introduction events along the American coast. As most animals from this exotic range were clustered with the Western Indian Ocean + Mediterranean Sea group, the Mediterranean populations were supported as the main source of the American ones. However, the cluster of animals from the southern Brazil with the Eastern Indian + Pacific Oceans group indicated that introductions from these native regions might also have occurred. A third group found solely in the American range and genetically related to Eastern Indian + Pacific also suggested introductions from an unsampled locality of native range. The haplotype diversities of American localities were comparable to those of source ones, whereas the nucleotide diversities were predominantly higher in the non-native localities. These diversity indexes results might be related to the occurrence of multiple introductions from genetic distinct areas. Among all haplotypes of the Indian Ocean + Mediterranean Sea cluster, only two were not found in America, what suggests no expressive bottleneck in the introduction from this source. However, a genetic bottleneck might explain the low number of equal haplotypes between the Eastern Indian + Pacific Ocean cluster and the Atlantic range. Only three haplotypes were detected in four specimens out of 87 collected in American localities in comparison to 22 found in the native group. In addition, the molecular and morphological analyses confirmed that a congeneric species, Charybdis variegata, recently recorded on the American coast, is actually another C. hellerii specimen.

Orientador: Adriane Pinto Wasko / Resumo: Amazona vinacea (Kuhl, 1820) (papagaio-de-peito-roxo) é uma espécie de psitacídeo considerada ameaçada de extinção em consequência, principalmente, da perda de seu habitat e do intenso tráfico ilegal. Sua população original era distribuída desde a região do sul da Bahia ao Rio Grande do Sul no Brasil, incluindo ainda o sudeste do Paraguai e a província de Misiones na Argentina. Atualmente, sua distribuição encontra-se fragmentada e estima-se que o número de indivíduos em vida livre no Brasil esteja entre 1.000 a 2.500 animais. Diante do exposto, com o objetivo de estimar os níveis de diversidade genética de A. vinacea e o grau de parentesco, foram analisados indivíduos reintroduzidos no Parque Nacional das Araucárias no Estado de Santa Catarina e também de animais cativos de diferentes regiões do Brasil, por meio de marcadores moleculares microssatélites e da região controle D-loop do DNA mitocondrial. Foram genotipadas 160 amostras de A. vinacea para 7 locos microssatélites e 103 amostras foram sequenciadas para caracterização do DNA mitocondrial. Os resultados obtidos detectaram uma alta variabilidade genética em A. vinacea, quando comparada com outros psitacídeos. Uma maior variabilidade foi observada nos locos de microssatélites quando comparados com a região controle do DNA mitocondrial. As análises de diferenciação genética apontaram uma baixa estruturação entre os grupos amostrados, o que pode sugerir fluxo gênico ou expansão populacional / colonização recente. Nas com... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: Amazona vinacea (Kuhl, 1820) (purple-breasted parrot) is a parrot species that is considered endangered, especially as a result of habitat loss and intense illegal traffic. Its original population was found from the south region of Bahia to Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil, and also included the southeastern Paraguay and the province of Misiones in Argentina. Its current distribution is fragmented and it is estimated that the number of free-living individuals in Brazil is around 1,000 to 2,500 animals. Due to this scenario, in order to estimate the levels of genetic diversity of A. vinacea and the kinship degree, animals that were reintroduced at the National Park of Araucárias at Santa Catarina State and also captive individuals from different regions of Brazil were analyzed throughout microsatellite molecular markers and the D-loop control region of the mitochondrial DNA. A total of 160 samples of A. vinacea were genotyped for 7 microsatellite locos and 103 samples were sequenced in order to characterize the mitochondrial DNA. The results indicated a high genetic variability in A. vinacea, when compared to other Psittacidae species. A higher variability was observed in microsatellite locos when compared to the mitochondrial DNA control region. Genetic differentiation analyzes indicated low structuring among the sampled groups, which could suggest gene flow or population expansion / recent colonization. In pairwise comparisons between the individuals, kinship analyzes indicated t... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Doutor

Orientador: Celso Luis Marino / Resumo: O Brasil possui vasta diversidade biológica tanto em sua fauna quanto em sua flora. Muito dessa diversidade ainda se encontra pouco ou inexplorada pela ciência. Dentre tantas espécies ainda pouco estudadas, encontra-se Astronium fraxinifolium Schott, popularmente conhecido como Gonçalo-Alves, tipicamente de cerrado e com aparições em outros biomas circundantes. A partir de uma população natural de A. fraxinifolium localizada em área degradada de Cerrado, o presente trabalho objetivou estimar a variação genotípica com base em seus caracteres silviculturais, propor um índice de seleção individual com base no valor genotípico (BLUP), determinar a proporção sexual dentro da população, o tamanho efetivo populacional, a diversidade, a estrutura genética, os níveis de endogamia, a coancestria e o tamanho efetivo populacional a partir da amplificação e identificação de locos microssatélites. A medição da altura foi realizada com equipamento hipsômetro baseado em sistema ultrassom e a estimativa do caráter diâmetro a altura do peito (DAP) a partir da conversão da circunferência à altura do peito. Para a extração do material genético e posterior genotipagem, coletou-se tecidos foliares de 384 árvores. As estimativas de componentes de variância e parâmetros genéticos dos caracteres silviculturais foram obtidos com base no procedimento - REML/BLUP empregando-se o software SELEGEN-REML/BLUP. A proporção sexual entre os indivíduos masculinos e femininos dentro da população foi estimada seg... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: Brazil has a vast biological diversity both in its fauna and flora. Much of this diversity is still little or unexplored by science. Among so many species still poorly studied, there is Astronium fraxinifolium Schott, popularly known as Gonçalo-Alves, typically a Cerrado specie with appearances in other surrounding biomes. From a natural population of A. fraxinifolium located in a degraded area of Cerrado, the present work aimed to estimate genotypic variation based on its silvicultural characters, propose an individual selection index based on genotypic value (BLUP), determine the sexual ratio in the population, effective population size, diversity, genetic structure, inbreeding levels, coancestry, and effective population size from the amplification and identification of microsatellite loci. Height measurement was performed using an ultrasound-based hypsometer device and the diameter-to-chest height (DBH) character estimate from the circumference to chest height conversion. For the extraction of genetic material and subsequent genotyping, we collected leaf tissues from 384 trees. Estimates of variance components and genetic parameters of silvicultural characters were obtained based on the procedure - REML / BLUP using the software SELEGEN-REML / BLUP. The sex ratio between male and female individuals in the population was estimated according to the chi-square statistical test. The genetic diversity was estimated using FSTAT software. The coancestry coefficients and standard... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Mestre

The research conducted for this thesis has produced quantitative data on the biology and population genetic structure of the Mulloway Argyrosomus japonicus in Western Australia, where this sciaenid is recreationally and commercially fished. These data were used 1) to test various hypotheses regarding the relationship between key biological characteristics of A. japonicus and both latitude and environmental variables, 2) to investigate the population structure and genetic characteristics of populations of A. japonicus on the west and south coasts of Western Australia and to assess the relationships between these populations and those of A. japonicus in eastern Australia and South Africa, and 3) to consider the implications of the biological and genetic results for management.

<p>Understanding the processes that shape the spatial distribution of genetic variation within species is central to the evolutionary study of diversification and demography. Neutral genetic variation reflects past demographic events as well as current demographic characteristics of populations, and the correct interpretation of genetic data requires that the relative impact of these forces can be identified. Details of breeding systems can affect the genetic structure through effects on effective migration rate or on effective population size. Restrictions in recombination rate lead to associations between neutral marker genes and genes under natural selection. Although the effects on genetic structure can be substantial, the process will often be difficult to tell apart from stochastic effects of history or genetic drift, which may suggest erroneous conclusions about demography.</p><p>In cyclically parthenogenetic freshwater invertebrates, which alternate between sexual and asexual reproduction, demographic fluctuations and reliance on diapausing eggs for dispersal enhances neutral genetic differentiation as well as effects of selection on associated genes. Although genetic founder effects are expected to be profound and long-lasting in these species, genetic hitch-hiking may reduce initial strong differentiation rapidly if better adapted genes are introduced by mutation or immigration. Fluctuating environmental conditions have been suggested to generate rapid shifts in the frequencies of clones during the asexual phase. In the presence of egg banks resting in sediments, genetic diversity is stabilised and the importance of migration for differentiation is reduced.</p><p>Studies of unstable and young populations of cyclically parthenogenetic <i>Daphnia pulex</i> showed substantial variation for important fitness traits, within as well as between populations, despite hypothesised recent founder effects. Neutral markers indicated genetic equilibrium, but changes in clonal composition during asexuality disrupted the genetic structure in a manner compatible with local adaptation and exclusion of immigrants. This illustrates that the forces affecting sexual progeny may be markedly different from those shaping the structure among asexual individuals.</p>

Because of increasing frequency of bear sightings, vehicle collisions, and nuisance incidents in coastal South Carolina, the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources is developing a comprehensive black bear management plan. However, no reliable estimates of population abundance or density are available. I used genotypes of black bears determined from hair samples collected in Lewis Ocean Bay and Carvers Bay to estimate population abundance and density. I obtained hair samples from snares during 8 weekly sampling periods in 2008 and 2009. I used Huggins closed population models to estimate abundance and spatially explicit capture- recapture models to estimate density. Based on model averaging, black bear abundance was 30 (SE = 9.3) on Carvers Bay and 42 (SE = 5.4) on Lewis Ocean Bay. Model-averaged density was 0.037 bears/km2 (SE = 0.003) for Carvers Bay. For Lewis Ocean Bay, population densities were much higher: 0.307 bears/km2 (SE = 0.025). I extrapolated the density estimates to the upper coastal region of South Carolina, using logistic regression to weight density based on similarity of the regional landscape with the 2 study areas. Predicted bear densities were low throughout the coastal region but several areas centered on more productive habitats (e.g., Carolina Bays, pocosin) and public lands (e.g., Francis Marion National Forest, Lewis Ocean Bay) had high densities. I also sampled an area in North Carolina and assessed genetic structure among the 3 areas. Based on heterozygosity, genetic distance, and genetic assignment, I found no evidence of historic or recent barriers to gene exchange among the 3 sampled populations. However, demographic connectivity may be a concern for areas such as Lewis Ocean Bay, which is surrounded by highways and development. If the goal is to maintain current black bear densities in those areas, maintaining connectivity with other habitat areas and mitigating impacts of highways would be important. The regional map of potential black bear density may be useful to identify areas that should be surveyed for occupancy or where additional studies may be conducted (e.g., Francis Marion National Forest).

Understanding the processes that shape the spatial distribution of genetic variation within species is central to the evolutionary study of diversification and demography. Neutral genetic variation reflects past demographic events as well as current demographic characteristics of populations, and the correct interpretation of genetic data requires that the relative impact of these forces can be identified. Details of breeding systems can affect the genetic structure through effects on effective migration rate or on effective population size. Restrictions in recombination rate lead to associations between neutral marker genes and genes under natural selection. Although the effects on genetic structure can be substantial, the process will often be difficult to tell apart from stochastic effects of history or genetic drift, which may suggest erroneous conclusions about demography. In cyclically parthenogenetic freshwater invertebrates, which alternate between sexual and asexual reproduction, demographic fluctuations and reliance on diapausing eggs for dispersal enhances neutral genetic differentiation as well as effects of selection on associated genes. Although genetic founder effects are expected to be profound and long-lasting in these species, genetic hitch-hiking may reduce initial strong differentiation rapidly if better adapted genes are introduced by mutation or immigration. Fluctuating environmental conditions have been suggested to generate rapid shifts in the frequencies of clones during the asexual phase. In the presence of egg banks resting in sediments, genetic diversity is stabilised and the importance of migration for differentiation is reduced. Studies of unstable and young populations of cyclically parthenogenetic Daphnia pulex showed substantial variation for important fitness traits, within as well as between populations, despite hypothesised recent founder effects. Neutral markers indicated genetic equilibrium, but changes in clonal composition during asexuality disrupted the genetic structure in a manner compatible with local adaptation and exclusion of immigrants. This illustrates that the forces affecting sexual progeny may be markedly different from those shaping the structure among asexual individuals.

<p>Diversity in coloration is a common phenomenon in marine invertebrates, although the ecological significance of the diversity is often unknown. Patterns of geographic variability, particularly with respect to color phenotypes, are evident in many organisms and may provide visual evidence of natural selection. </p><p>This dissertation examined the geographic and genetic variability of color patterns and morphology of the sea urchin <italic>Lytechinus variegatus </italic>. This study had 3 objectives: 1) to describe and quantify phenotypic diversity--color and morphology--throughout the geographic range; 2) to determine the heritability of color in genetic crosses between individuals with similar and differing phenotype; 3) to assess the degree of genetic divergence between and within the regions and congruence between the phylogenetic mitochondrial COI data and color phenotypes seen in the field.</p><p>The distribution of color phenotypes in the field is highly variable across the geographic range which stretches from Beaufort NC to southern Brazil and throughout the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean. Urchins in each of the 5 regions sampled (Beaufort, Gulf, Keys, Panama and Brazil) have a distinct phenotypic composition despite the presence of similar color morphs. The two regions at the extremes--Beaufort and Brazil--demonstrate the most homogeneous phenotypes, each with a single dominant color morph. The Keys has the most heterogeneous composition with all 14 color morphs present. Morphological diversity mirrors color diversity in being highly variable across the range. Urchins in Beaufort are significantly different morphologically from urchins in the central portion of the range, with thicker, flatter tests and longer more robust spines.</p><p>The heritability of color phenotypes and morphology suggests that genes rather than environment have a major role in color phenotype and patterning as well as morphology in test, spines and lanterns. F₁ and F₂ offspring of Beaufort and Tavernier Key crosses resemble the parental phenotypes in both morphology and color phenotype. Hybrids from crosses between regions have a mixed color palette and intermediate morphological characteristics. The crosses establish that in <italic>L. variegatus </italic>the white phenotype is a dominant autosomal trait and green and purple are recessive and co-expressed. Patterning of the test and spines is dominant to non-patterning. </p><p>Analysis of the mitochondrial COI gene in urchins from Beaufort, Gulf and Keys regions revealed two clades. Clade 1 composed exclusively of Keys urchins differed significantly (F_ST = 0.89, <italic>P</italic> < 0.001) from Clade 2 composed of urchins from Beaufort, Gulf and Keys. Genetic differentiation within Clade 2 was zero, indicating that urchins in these regions are genetically identical. The genetic split between phenotypically indistinguishable Keys urchins suggests cryptic species. Genetic differentiation does not concord with phenotypic and morphological differentiation. No structure was detected with regards to color phenotype in either clade or region of origin in Clade 2.</p> / Dissertation