Meeting Abstract

P1.172  Saturday, Jan. 4 15:30  Microsatellite analyses compare trends in paternity in two sympatric species of marine turtle (Caretta caretta & Chelonia mydas) LASALA, JA*; WYNEKEN, JW; Florida Atlantic University; Florida Atlantic University jlasala1@fau.edu

Mating systems have an important role in shaping life history evolution and population dynamics of a species and should be considered when planning conservation efforts. Polyandry, a single female mating with multiple males, may result in the multiple paternity of progeny arrays (clutches). Within a population, multiple paternity influences the effective population size and the maintenance of genetic variation. Several recent studies together suggest that multiple paternity occurs in most reptile species but within the Testudines there is a high degree of variation. Assessing multiple paternity within marine turtles is challenging because males rarely return to land and matings are not often observed. By conducting exclusion analyses we can approximate the number of males and critically assess population estimates. Loggerhead and green nesting mothers and up to 20 offspring were sampled from more than 70 nests over the summer of 2013, on three large nesting assemblages in southern Florida. To determine if species sharing the same rookeries have a common pattern, we assessed the frequency of multiple paternity. Here we compare how many males contribute to the assemblages and whether males are active on multiple beaches. Our study provides the first assessment of effective population size for important southern Florida nesting populations and addresses connectivity of rookeries through male mediated gene flow.