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High genetic load in an old isolated butterfly population

Anniina L K Mattila1, Anne Duplouy, Malla Kirjokangas

  • 1Metapopulation Research Group, Department of Biosciences, University of Helsinki, FI-00014 Helsinki, Finland. anniina.mattila@helsinki.fi

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
|August 22, 2012
PubMed
Summary

Small island populations of Glanville fritillary butterflies (Melitaea cinxia) show high genetic load due to accumulated mutations. This genetic burden threatens their survival in fragmented landscapes.

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