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Population structure is not a simple function of reproductive mode and larval type: insights from tropical corals
Citation
Miller, KJ and Ayre, DJ, Population structure is not a simple function of reproductive mode and larval type: insights from tropical corals, Journal of Animal Ecology, 77, (4) pp. 713-724. ISSN 0021-8790 (2008) [Refereed Article]
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Copyright Statement
The definitive published version is available online at: http://interscience.wiley.com
Official URL: http://interscience.wiley.com
DOI: doi:10.1111/j.1365-2656.2008.01387.x
Abstract
1.
For a wide range of organisms, heritable variation in life-history characteristics has been shown
to be strongly subject to selection, reflecting the impact that variation in characters such as genotypic
diversity, duration of larval development and adaptations for dispersal can have on the fitness
of offspring and the make-up of populations. Indeed, variation in life-history characteristics,
especially reproduction and larval type, have often been used to predict patterns of dispersal and
resultant population structures in marine invertebrates.
2.
Scleractinian corals are excellent models with which to test this relationship, as they exhibit
almost every possible combination of reproductive mode and larval type. Some general patterns are
emerging but, contrary to expectations, genetic data suggest that while populations of broadcast
spawning species may be genotypically diverse they may be heavily reliant on localized recruitment
rather than widespread dispersal of larvae.
3.
Here we use microsatellites to test the importance of localized recruitment by comparing the genetic
structure of populations of two broadcast spawning corals with contrasting modes of reproduction
and larval development;
Goniastrea favulus
is self-compatible, has sticky, negatively buoyant eggs and
larvae and is expected to have restricted dispersal of gametes and larvae. In contrast,
Platygyra daedalea
is self-incompatibile, spawns positively buoyant egg-sperm bundles and has planktonic development.
4.
Surprisingly, spatial-autocorrelation revealed no fine-scale clustering of similar genotypes within
sites for
G. favulus
, but showed a non-random distribution of genotypes in
P. daedalea
. Both species
showed similar levels of genetic subdivision among sites separated by 50100 m (
F
ST
=
0·03),
suggesting that larval dispersal may be equivalent in both species.
5.
Interestingly, as fragmentation has been considered rare in massive corals, our sample of 284
P. daedalea
colonies included 28 replicated genotypes that were each unlikely (
P
<
0·05) to have
been derived independently from sexual reproduction.
6.
We conclude that the extreme life history of
G. favulus
does not produce unusually fine-scale
genetic structure and subsequently, that reproductive mode and larval type may not be not good
predictors of population structure or dispersal ability.
Item Details
Item Type: | Refereed Article |
---|---|
Keywords: | microsatellite DNA population genetics sexual and asexual reproduction spatial autocorrelation larval dispersal |
Research Division: | Biological Sciences |
Research Group: | Ecology |
Research Field: | Marine and estuarine ecology (incl. marine ichthyology) |
Objective Division: | Environmental Management |
Objective Group: | Marine systems and management |
Objective Field: | Marine biodiversity |
UTAS Author: | Miller, KJ (Dr Karen Miller) |
ID Code: | 54214 |
Year Published: | 2008 |
Web of Science® Times Cited: | 69 |
Deposited By: | IASOS |
Deposited On: | 2009-02-12 |
Last Modified: | 2009-06-10 |
Downloads: | 0 |
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