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Microsatellite variation and evolution in the Mimulus guttatus species complex with contrasting mating systems
1Department of Botany, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. awadalla@botany.utoronto.ca
Molecular Biology and Evolution
|October 23, 1997
Summary
Microsatellite diversity in yellow monkeyflowers reveals that inbreeding impacts population structure. Selfing species show reduced diversity, suggesting bottlenecks or background selection, not just selfing alone.
Area of Science:
- Evolutionary Biology
- Population Genetics
- Molecular Ecology
Background:
- Microsatellite variability is influenced by population history and mating systems.
- Mating systems in plants can affect the evolution of microsatellite loci.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate microsatellite variation in five yellow monkeyflower species (Mimulus sect. Simiolis) with varying inbreeding histories.
- To understand how mating systems and population history shape microsatellite evolution.
Main Methods:
- Surveyed variation at six microsatellite loci across five Mimulus species.
- Analyzed population structure and diversity levels.
- Evaluated the stepwise mutation model and inferred coalescent times.
Main Results:
- High microsatellite diversity was observed in both outcrossing and selfing species.
- Inbreeding species exhibited greater among-population diversity partitioning.
- Diversity in selfing taxa was lower than predicted by effective population size reductions alone.
Conclusions:
- Selfing taxa likely experienced population bottlenecks or background selection.
- Past population size bottlenecks or colonization events significantly reduced diversity in the inbreeding taxon.
- Microsatellite loci in these species appear to evolve via a stepwise mutation model.