Evaluation of genetic structure across freshwater mussel community (genus Elliptio) in the Altamaha River basin Academic Article uri icon

abstract

  • Using mitochondrial DNA sequence data and genotypic data from four microsatellite loci, we evaluate the population genetic structure for three common species of the freshwater mussel genus Elliptio in the Altamaha River basin in Georgia, USA. These data are intended to evaluate whether distinct management strategies should be applied to upper and lower reaches of the Altamaha, which are separated by some discontinuities in appropriate habitat and may have been differentially influenced by heavier urbanization in the upstream reaches. Our results show no significant structure of mitochondrial data for E. dariensis, E. hopetonensis, or mussels in the E. icterina-complanata group. However, microsatellite data do suggest moderate genotypic structure of mussels in the E. icterina-complanata group, consistent with (but not necessarily caused by) the noted habitat disjunction. Application of these data may prove useful in management of rare endemic congeners such as the Altamaha spinymussel, E. spinosa, in showing that management resources can be applied uniformly throughout the Altamaha basin. 2012 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.

published proceedings

  • Conservation Genetics

author list (cited authors)

  • Small, S. T., Eytan, R., Bockrath, K., & Wares, J. P.

citation count

  • 1

complete list of authors

  • Small, ST||Eytan, R||Bockrath, K||Wares, JP

publication date

  • August 2012