Pop Genetics of Releases

[Bruce Walsh]

Re:  " has shown that mitochondrial DNA is not reflective of the DNA
contained in the nucleu"

This is both correct and wrong.  Animal mtDNA contains around 17-23 genes
which are not found in the nucleus.  mtDNA does provide information on
rates of gene exchange, but there are also examples of discordance between
mtDNA and nuclear exchange rates, because mtDNA is only passed on through
female lineages.  Strong sex-specific differences in migration could thus
create different patterns (this is seen on some rodents on islands). 
However, give that the sex-ratio of monarchs in the roosting sites seems to be
approximately 50-50, mtDNA should provide a good picture of gene exchange,
and certainly provides a good picture of the rates of female migration.

Cheers

Bruce


Bruce Walsh
Associate Professor
Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Biosciences West
University of Arizona
Tucson,  AZ  85721  USA

email:   jbwalsh at u.arizona.edu
Office:  520 621-1915
Fax (Departmental)  520 621 9190

home page:  http://nitro.biosci.arizona.edu

Quantitative Genetics page:  http://nitro.biosci.arizona.edu/zbook/book.ht
ml

Arizona Moths page: http://nitro.biosci.arizona.edu/zeeb/butterflies/mothl
ist.html

Arizona butterflies page: http://nitro.biosci.arizona.edu/zeeb/butterflies
/seazlist.html
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