Meeting Abstract

P3.117  Thursday, Jan. 6  An investigation of population genetic diversity in introduced Ctenosaura similis after extreme long-distance dispersal NACCARATO, A.M.*; DEJARNETTE, J.B.; ALLMAN, P.; Florida Gulf Coast University; Florida Gulf Coast University; Florida Gulf Coast University amnaccar@eagle.fgcu.edu

Extreme long-distance dispersal typically results in a small founder group that does not genetically represent its source population. Several (5-30) black spiny-tailed iguanas (Ctenosaura similis) that are native to Central America were introduced to Keewaydin Island (KI; Krysko et al. 2003) in Collier County, Florida in 1995. This introduced population is apparently very large and its genetic diversity is currently unknown. The purpose of this project is to determine if this introduced population possesses low genetic diversity consistent with its form of introduction. C. similis specimens (n = 21) of different sexes and age classes were collected from three sites, muscle tissue was removed from each specimen, mitochondrial DNA was extracted, and a region of the ND4 gene was amplified (after Zarza et al. 2008) and sequenced (Eurofins MWG Operon). MEGA software (Kumar et al. 2008) was used to investigate nucleotide variation between sequences. All sequences derived from C. similis specimens from KI were identical, meaning diversity at this genetic locus was zero. Current C. similis individuals on KI likely descended from a single female or sibling females; furthermore, the 15 years that elapsed since their introduction seems insufficient time to allow significant sequence mutation between groups on the island. This example of extreme long-distance dispersal demonstrates that small founder group size and low genetic diversity does not inevitably result in a failed introduction.