Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 24, 2026

A Noninvasive Hair Sampling Technique to Obtain High Quality DNA from Elusive Small Mammals
Published on: March 13, 2011
A population genetic comparison of large- and small-bodied sage grouse in colorado using microsatellite and
Abstract:
Sage grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) from southwestern Colorado and southeastern Utah (United States) are 33% smaller than all other sage grouse and have obvious plumage and behavioural differences. Because of these differences, they have been tentatively recog-nized as a separate 'small-bodied' species. We collected genetic evidence to further test this proposal, using mitochondrial sequence data and microsatellite markers to determine whether there was gene flow between the two proposed species. Significant differences in the distribution of alleles between the large- and small-bodied birds were found in both data sets. Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) revealed that 65% of the variation in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) haplotypes could be explained by the large- vs. small-bodied distinction. Genetic distances and neighbour-joining trees based on allelic frequency data showed a distinct separation between the proposed species, although cladistic analysis of the phylogenetic history of the mitochondrial sequence haplotypes has shown a lack of reciprocal monophyly. These results further support the recognition of the small-bodied sage grouse as a distinct species based on the biological species concept, providing additional genetic evidence to augment the morphological and behavioural data. Furthermore, small-bodied sage grouse had much less genetic variation than large-bodied sage grouse, which may have implications for conservation issues.
More Related Videos
09:09Protocol for Assessing the Relative Effects of Environment and Genetics on Antler and Body Growth for a Long-lived Cervid
Published on: August 8, 2017
10:17Laboratory Protocol for Genetic Gut Content Analyses of Aquatic Macroinvertebrates Using Group-specific rDNA Primers
Published on: October 5, 2017
Related Concept Videos
What is Population Genetics?
Conservation of Small Populations
Genetics of Speciation
Gene Evolution - Fast or Slow?
In contrast, regions which code...
Animal Mitochondrial Genetics
Evolutionary Relationships through Genome Comparisons