Temporal variation in allele frequencies, whether caused by deterministic or stochastic
forces, can inform us about interesting demographic and evolutionary phenomena occur-
ring in wild populations. In spite of the continued surge of interest in the genetics of three-
spined stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) populations, little attention has been paid
towards the temporal stability of allele frequency distributions, and whether there are con-
sistent differences in effective size (N e ) of local populations. We investigated temporal sta-
bility of genetic variability and differentiation in 15 microsatellite loci within and among eight
collection sites of varying habitat type, surveyed twice over a six-year time period. In addi-
tion, N e s were estimated with the expectation that they would be lowest in isolated ponds,
intermediate in larger lakes and largest in open marine sites. In spite of the marked differ-
ences in genetic variability and differentiation among the study sites, the temporal differ-
ences in allele frequencies, as well as measures of genetic diversity and differentiation,
were negligible. Accordingly, the N e estimates were temporally stable, but tended to be
lower in ponds than in lake or marine habitats. Hence, we conclude that allele frequencies
in putatively neutral markers in three-spined sticklebacks seem to be temporally stable – at
least over periods of few generations – across a wide range of habitat types differing
markedly in levels of genetic variability, effective population size and gene flow.
%0 Journal Article
%1 defaveri2015temporal
%A DeFaveri, Jacquelin
%A Merilä, Juha
%D 2015
%E Zane, Lorenzo
%I Public Library of Science (PLoS)
%J PLOS ONE
%K census_size demographic_inference effective_population_size island_adaptation parallel_evolution temporal_variation sticklebacks
%N 4
%P e0123891
%R 10.1371/journal.pone.0123891
%T Temporal Stability of Genetic Variability and Differentiation in the Three-Spined Stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus)
%U http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0123891
%V 10
%X Temporal variation in allele frequencies, whether caused by deterministic or stochastic
forces, can inform us about interesting demographic and evolutionary phenomena occur-
ring in wild populations. In spite of the continued surge of interest in the genetics of three-
spined stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) populations, little attention has been paid
towards the temporal stability of allele frequency distributions, and whether there are con-
sistent differences in effective size (N e ) of local populations. We investigated temporal sta-
bility of genetic variability and differentiation in 15 microsatellite loci within and among eight
collection sites of varying habitat type, surveyed twice over a six-year time period. In addi-
tion, N e s were estimated with the expectation that they would be lowest in isolated ponds,
intermediate in larger lakes and largest in open marine sites. In spite of the marked differ-
ences in genetic variability and differentiation among the study sites, the temporal differ-
ences in allele frequencies, as well as measures of genetic diversity and differentiation,
were negligible. Accordingly, the N e estimates were temporally stable, but tended to be
lower in ponds than in lake or marine habitats. Hence, we conclude that allele frequencies
in putatively neutral markers in three-spined sticklebacks seem to be temporally stable – at
least over periods of few generations – across a wide range of habitat types differing
markedly in levels of genetic variability, effective population size and gene flow.
@article{defaveri2015temporal,
abstract = {Temporal variation in allele frequencies, whether caused by deterministic or stochastic
forces, can inform us about interesting demographic and evolutionary phenomena occur-
ring in wild populations. In spite of the continued surge of interest in the genetics of three-
spined stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) populations, little attention has been paid
towards the temporal stability of allele frequency distributions, and whether there are con-
sistent differences in effective size (N e ) of local populations. We investigated temporal sta-
bility of genetic variability and differentiation in 15 microsatellite loci within and among eight
collection sites of varying habitat type, surveyed twice over a six-year time period. In addi-
tion, N e s were estimated with the expectation that they would be lowest in isolated ponds,
intermediate in larger lakes and largest in open marine sites. In spite of the marked differ-
ences in genetic variability and differentiation among the study sites, the temporal differ-
ences in allele frequencies, as well as measures of genetic diversity and differentiation,
were negligible. Accordingly, the N e estimates were temporally stable, but tended to be
lower in ponds than in lake or marine habitats. Hence, we conclude that allele frequencies
in putatively neutral markers in three-spined sticklebacks seem to be temporally stable – at
least over periods of few generations – across a wide range of habitat types differing
markedly in levels of genetic variability, effective population size and gene flow.},
added-at = {2016-03-22T20:57:21.000+0100},
author = {DeFaveri, Jacquelin and Merilä, Juha},
biburl = {https://www.bibsonomy.org/bibtex/2e1094df53b9d81d0d146001ee3395c46/peter.ralph},
doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0123891},
editor = {Zane, Lorenzo},
interhash = {1b7d47169306470f8ba32ef910980b2a},
intrahash = {e1094df53b9d81d0d146001ee3395c46},
journal = {{PLOS} {ONE}},
keywords = {census_size demographic_inference effective_population_size island_adaptation parallel_evolution temporal_variation sticklebacks},
month = apr,
number = 4,
pages = {e0123891},
publisher = {Public Library of Science ({PLoS})},
timestamp = {2016-03-31T22:45:43.000+0200},
title = {Temporal Stability of Genetic Variability and Differentiation in the Three-Spined Stickleback ({{Gasterosteus} aculeatus})},
url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0123891},
volume = 10,
year = 2015
}